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1921 
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IE NIAGARA FALLS 
HOOL SYSTEM 



REPORT OF A SURVEY BY THE 

STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 




ALBANY 
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK PRESS 

1921 

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A REPORT OF THE SURVEY 
OF THE NIAGARA FALLS /3 
SCHOOL SYSTEM ^^^'^ 



BY THE 

STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 



ALBANY 
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK PRESS 

1921 






CWARY OF CON>-v.v -:r 
.7iHcewen 
JAN 261923 



I REPORT OF THE SURVEY OF THE NIAGARA 



> 



FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 



INTRODUCTION 

The study of the Niagara Falls school system was undertaken by 
the State Department of Education on the request of the Niagara 
Falls board of education, and with the cordial cooperation of the 
various civic organizations of the community. 

In April 1919 a special report was presented to the board of 
education by their building and grounds committee calling attention 
to " the pressing need of additional housing facilities for the con- 
tinually increasing school population." The report emphasized the 
fact that this need had been recognized for some time ; that the presi- 
dent of the board had stated a year previously that " for 10 years 
up to that time the average increase in our population of school age 
had been approximately 400 pupils." The committee not only made 
an analysis of the attendance during the years immediately preceding, 
but endeavored to interpret the figures in terms of the school problem. 

As an illustration of the careful thought given to the problem by 
the committee of the board of education we note their discussion of 
the school registration in relation to the situation in the higher grades : 
"Theoretically these (total elementary registration) could be divided 
into eight parts or 862 pupils in each of eight grades. But we have 
only a little over half that number in the seventh and only a small 
fraction over a third in the eighth grade, a dropping off of 32 per 
cent between the seventh and eighth grades. Of course there will 
be a gradual lessening of numbers in the more advanced grades but 
seemingly the proportion is too great." 

The spirit shown by the board of education and their constructive 
approach to the whole problem not only in their own preliminary 
study but also in their cooperation with local and state authorities 
have been most commendable. 

[5] 



O THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

On account of their special interest in the building problem a tenta- 
tive report was made by the State Department of Education to the 
local board of education early in the fall of 1919 covering the con- 
dition of the school plant, the probable direction in which expansion 
should be made, and comparative school costs in cities the size of 
Niagara Falls. This tentative report with some slight modifications 
forms chapters 11 and 12 of this more complete study. The larger 
part of the work covered by the survey was done during the school 
year 1919-20, with the exception that the measurement of the in- 
struction and the giving of the standard tests was completed during 
the fall of 1920. There was unusual cooperation on the part of 
the superintendents, principals and teaching stafT in every phase of 
the work. 

By way of summary statement a few features of the report 
may be noted. Niagara Falls is a typically cosmopolitan city. 
Although it has a high percentage of foreign-born whites, this 
element is largely homogeneous and does not present the social 
problem found in many communities. 

The board of education consists of nine members who are 
appointed by the mayor of the city. The financial control of the 
school budget rests largely with the board of education. The annual 
budget is prepared by the board of education and presented to the 
city commissioners for approAal. Expenditures for school purposes 
are made under the direct control and supervision of the board of 
education. The business procedure and office routine in connection 
witii financial matters is unusually well organized. The details are 
efficiently demonstrated. Apparently the board of education and the 
superintendent of schools appreciate that efficient business procedure 
is essential to sound school administration. 

The teaching stafl: shows a high percentage of professionally 
trained teachers. The local school authorities require the completion 
of an approved two-year professional course for those entering the 
service in the elementary schools and graduation from an approved 
four-year college course for those entering service in the high school. 
The local school authorities have emphasized the importance of a 
professionally trained teaching staff through the marked increments 
that have recently been made in the salary schedules for both the 
elementary and secondary teachers. 

The elementary course of instruction includes not only so-called 
common branches but also some special subjects such as music, 
drawing, industrial arts and physical training. The special subjects 
are under the direction of the special teachers. The work through- 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM / 

out the grades varied somewhat from recognized standards on 
account of the reorganization in the course of study and in the super- 
visory program which had been only partially developed. The 
apparent outstanding need relates to the reorganization of the work 
in the higher grades which is already under way through the inaugu- 
ration of the new intermediate school program. 

There are six general courses of instruction in the high school, 
including college entrance, scientific, normal or teacher training, 
household arts, industrial and manual arts, and commercial. The 
courses in household arts and manual arts enrolled a relatively small 
proportion of the student body. The work in these activities has 
been handicapped, however, by the lack of needed space and equip- 
ment. In several departments the work would be strengthened by a 
more definite organization. The congestion due to the large high 
school enrolment and the limited space without adequate oppor- 
tunities for special activities or for adequate work in physical educa- 
tion, undoubtedly accounts in large part for the loose organization 
found in the high school at the time this study was made. 

The percentage of retardation in Niagara Falls schools is neither 
unusually high nor unusually low. A marked feature of the situa- 
tion, however, is to be noted in that an unusually large percentage of 
boys and girls leave school as soon as they are beyond the provisions 
of the compulsory attendance law. This situation is appreciated by 
the local school authorities. This condition will best be met by the 
provisions that are already under way for the inauguration of the 
intermediate school program. 

The study of the school plant indicates that the school population 
has rapidly outgrown the present school facilities. This is the out- 
standing feature of the problem. The rapid growth of the city and 
the corresponding increase in the school registration from year to 
year gives ample evidence as to the wisdom of the school authorities 
and civic organizations in making a thorough study of the present 
situation. 

The elementary school buildings as a group are reasonably modern. 
The board of education has shown a wise policy in giving very con- 
siderable attention to the need of adequate playground space. Their 
vision is also evidenced in the large provision which is being made to 
meet this need in the new plans now under way. 

Two of the buildings, however, — the Cleveland Street School and 
Fifth Street School — have probably outlived their period of greatest 
usefulness. These two buildings, while the oldest in the city, have 
been used to accommodate the large proportion of the children of the 



8 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

seventh and eighth grades. This lack of adequate school facilities 
for the children of the early adolescent period was an outstanding 
weakness of the present local school organization. The probable 
annual increase in the school registration is from 400 to 480. If 
merely desk space were provided and if the present school buildings 
were sufficient, this means a new 24-room school building every two 
years. This wovild leave out of consideration, however, the present 
serious handicap under which the seventh and eighth grade pupils are 
working in the two oldest buildings of the city. It would also fail 
to consider the conditions in the high school where there is already 
need for additional space and more modern equipment to meet the 
demands for technical and industrial work. 

As a result of the preliminary report and the recommendations 
regarding the intermediate school program, the board of education 
presented a plan providing for the building of two intermediate 
or junior high schools extending the present elementary school plant 
and providing also for a large addition to the present high school for 
technical and industrial work along the lines of the cosmopolitan or 
comprehensive high school unit. 

The city of Niagara Falls, through the active interest of civic 
groups and public-spirited citizens, carried by a large majority five 
separate proposals representing a total bond issue of $3,500,000 for 
the purpose of putting the new school program into effect. Seldom 
has a city of the State adopted such a constructive and far-reaching 
educational program. The community is to be commended for its 
appreciation of the present need and its vision of the great possibility 
of the future. 

The State Department of Education is pleased to have had any 
small part in assisting the community in carrying forward the plans 
which have resulted in such progressive educational steps. 




Assistant Commissioner for Elementary Education 




5 o> $cn> >g 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 



THE COMMUNITY 

Niagara Falls is a city of 50,760 population in the western part 
of New York on the Niagar river and about 25 miles north of 
Buffalo. It is known throughout the world on account of the falls, 
and is visited by thousands of tourists each year. The city is also 
an important and rapidly developing commercial and industrial center. 
It has increased approximately 150 per cent in population since 1900. 
Its population in 1900 was 19,457; in 1905, 26,560; in 1910, 30,445; 
in 1915, 42,257; and in 1920, 50,760. It is an important railroad 
center, being located on the New York Central, the Michigan Cen- 
tral, the Wabash, the Lehigh Valley, and the Grand Trunk railroads. 

The city was incorporated in 1892, when the two separate villages, 
Niagara Falls and Suspension Bridge, were consolidated to form the 
new city. Since the development of power was begun by means of 
the river, the industrial and commercial growth has been very rapid. 
Electricity, generated in huge plants, is transmitted over a wide area 
in western New York, being used east as far as Syracuse. The 
electro-chemical industries are doubtless the outstanding features of 
the manufacturing interests. Calcium carbide and carborundum 
are manufactured in large quantities. Among the other products 
are chemicals, machinery, foundry products, paper, flour, shredded 
wheat biscuit, and wood products. 

The need of adequate educational opportunities in the school sys- 
tem of such a rapidly growing and industrially important community 
is self-evident. There must be a vital relationship between the school 
program and the fundamental arts and activities of a community, if 
the school is to function as it should in the lives of those in training. 
The school authorities and the civic organizations of Niagara Falls 
are not unmindful of this relationship and interdependence. This 
study of the city school system has been made on the request, and 
with the full cooperation, of the local authorities. 

The population of Niagara Falls, according to the census of 1910, 
was typically cosmopolitan. The native whites of native parentage 
were 25.4 per cent of the total population. The native whites of 
foreign or mixed parentage constituted 34.1 per cent of the popula- 
tion. The foreign-born whites were 39.6 per cent and the negroes 
.9 per cent. It is apparent that the percentage of native whites of 



10 THE UNIVF;RS1TY of the state of new YORK 

native parentage is unusually low, this percentage for the entire State 
being 35.4. It is much less than in Utica, Schenectady, Amsterdam, 
Elmira or Binghamton where similar studies as to school conditions 
have been made. At the same time the percentage of foreign-born 
whites is unusually large, this percentage for the State being 29.9 
VvOiile for Niagara Falls it is 39.6. 

Table 1 

Niagara Am- Schcnec- Bing- New York 

Falls sterdam Utica tody hamton Elmira State 

Native white, native 

parentage 25.4 33.7 34. S 43.3 62.9 58.4 35.4 

Native white, foreign 

or mixed parentage. 34.1 31.9 36.1 30.7 20.5 26. 33. 

Foreign-born white .. 39.6 34. 28.6 25.6 15.3 14.1 29.9 

Negro .9 .4 .5 .4 1.3 1.4 1.5 

Although Niagara Falls has the largest percentage of foreign- 
born whites of any city of the group, an analysis of this shows that 
approximately one-half of this group is composed of Canadians, 
English, Irish or Scotch. The Canadians alone represent one-third 
of the foreign-born whites in Niagara Falls. In a sense therefore 
the group is homogeneous and does not present a serious foreign 
problem such as is found for instance in Amsterdam or in Utica. 
Ir is ver}' true that there are large groups of non-English-speaking 
foreigners. There are groups of Russians, Poles and Italians that 
present large problems in the educational program and in the civic 
life of the community. 

At the moment the analysis of the census figures for 1920 are not 
available. We have therefore presented the analysis of the popula- 
tion groups in Niagara Falls and in several other cities for purposes 
of comparison, using the census tables of 1910. It is quite probable 
that the percentage composition of the population of the various com- 
munities has not been changed in any wide degree during the past 
decade. 

The diverse character of the population and the unique industrial 
and commercial activities present large but interesting problems to 
tl'iose responsible for the educational program of the city school sys- 
tem. At the same time the casual observer may note and the financial 
reports of the government show that Niagara Falls is a prosperous 
community with a per capita valuation of real property considerably 
above the average for cities of the same size. The interest of all 
groups of citizens in the continued development of better educational 
c>pportunities insures not only a better citizenship but also continued 
industrial and commercial growth. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 11 



ORGANIZATION 

The board of education of Niagara Falls consists of nine members, 
three of whom are appointed annually by the mayor of the city. 
The term of service which was formerly three, is now five years, 
since the new cities law became effective in 1917. 

The functions of the board of education are defined by chapter 786 
of the Laws of 1917, which became article 33- A of the Education 
Law and states that " the board of education is a corporate body and 
a majority of the board is a quorum for doing business." It has the 
power to perform the usual duties imposed on boards of education 
which are enumerated in the statute referred to as follows : " the 
power to create or abolish such positions as may be necessary; to 
appoint a superintendent of schools, principals, teachers or other 
employees ; to have the care and control of all school property ; to 
purchase apparatus, equipment or other necessary supplies ; to estab- 
lish and maintain schools, libraries, playgrounds, social centers or 
reading rooms ; to authorize courses of study ; to determine the text- 
books to be used ; and to prescribe necessary regulations and by-laws." 
The organization of the board recognizes the principles laid down in 
the statute. 

Although chapter 300 of the Laws of 1904, which related to the 
" union district of the city of Niagara Falls " was repealed by the 
uniform cities act of 1917, certain provisions were continued, those 
having to do (1) with the appointment of members of the board of 
education, and (2) with the raising and expenditure of funds for 
the support of the public schools. Reference has already been made 
to the manner in which appointments are made to the board of 
education. 

On or before the first day of April of each year the board of edu- 
cation is required to prepare a statement of the funds necessary for 
the school year beginning August 1st following. This budget is pre- 
sented to the city council consisting of five commissioners, and if 
approved by a majority, is filed with the city clerk and becomes the 
school budget for the ensuing year. The city council may hold the 
budget as submitted by the board of education for 20 days. If the 
city council disapproves any item in the budget, it is returned to 
the board of education, which may revise the budget or pass it over 



12 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

the council's objection by the approval of three- fourths of the mem- 
bership. If at the end of this period it has been neither approved nor 
rejected, it is considered approved and filed with the city clerk. The 
city council is required under the statute to include the estimates in 
the city tax and assessment roll. These amounts are collected by 
the city treasurer as one of the divisions of the city budget. They 
are credited to the board of education and paid out only on orders 
signed by the clerk and the president of the board, and charged to 
the funds designated in the budget estimates as prepared by the 
board of education. 

The expenditure of funds during the fiscal year for purposes con- 
nected with the public school organization is entirely within the dis- 
cretion of the board of education. 

If it is found necessary to purchase a school site or an addition to 
a school site, to erect a new school building, the board of education 
is required to call a special election of qualified voters of the district 
for this purpose. If such an election for raising funds for the erec- 
tion of school buildings or purchasing school sites is not held in con- 
nection with the tax election called by the city council, the board of 
education may designate the polling places for the election for this 
purpose in the same manner as other tax elections are held. If the 
proposal for the erection of a school building is approved by a major- 
ity of the electors, the board of education has the authority to au- 
thorize the issuance of bonds or certificates of indebtedness in the 
form and payable at such time as it may be prescribed for the sum 
authorized. 

It may be observed that the manner of raising and distributing 
school funds was not changed for the city of Niagara Falls by chap- 
ter 786 of the Laws of 1917, which amended the general education 
law in its relation to the cities of the State. Under the statutory 
provisions, the board of education of Niagara Falls is in large part 
free from the control of other city departments in financial matters. 
The city council, as has already been noted, passes upon the budget 
estimates of the board of education. To a large degree, however, 
the school authorities are free in the financial management of the 
schools, as expenditures are made under their direct control and 
supervision. This policy agrees with the best thought governing 
sound administrative procedure in school matters. It is occasionally 
found that the control of school budgets by local municipal authori- 
ties has prevented the carrying forward of a progressive educational 
program. In order that the schools may be conducted in a manner 
to meet the educational needs of the community, control in financial 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 13 

as well as educational matters must be in the hands of school authori- 
ties. It is impossible to diverse financial and educational control. 
Without financial control there can be no educational control. In 
educational as well as in other activities the control of the funds car- 
ries with it the control of policy. The best school organizations in 
the country are governed by a board of education having full re- 
sponsibility not only in educational but also in financial matters. 
While in Niagara Falls there is a review of estimates by the city 
council, the control of financial matters is in large measure in the 
hands of the school authorities. The conditions in this respect are 
far more satisfactory than in many municipalities. This doubtless 
explains in part the progress which has been made in Niagara Falls 
in insuring a progressive educational program for the city. 

Board of Education 

The membership of the board of education has been reasonably 
continuous. During the past nine years, as the records show, there 
have been only 22 different members on the board. The average 
term of service of these 22 members has been 33<4 years. With a 
membership of nine and a term of service of 3 years, this indicates 
a permanency of tenure that is commendable. Of the members of 
the board in office in December 1919, two had served during the 
entire 9-year period or longer, one had served 6 years, one 5 years, 
two 4 years, one 3 years ; and two, 2 years. The average term of 
service of these members has been 5 years. Such continued service 
is helpful and even essential in working out a constructive program, 
and at the same time there has been the advantage of new interests 
and points of view through the contact of new members. At no 
time during this period has the organization of the board been sud- 
denly changed through any large number of resignations resulting 
in new appointments. 

The regular meetings of the board are held on the first Friday of 
each month. It is to be expected that adjourned and special meet- 
ings will increase the number of sessions necessary during the year. 
During the years from 1911 to 1919 inclusive the number of board 
meetings during each year varied from 16 to 26, the average num- 
ber of meetings being 19. The number of sessions each year were 
as follows : 

1910— 18 meetings • 1915 — 16 meetings 

1911 — 18 meetings 1916 — 21 m.eetings 

1912 — 21 meetings 1917 — 22 meetings 

1913 — 19 meetings 1918 — 26 meetings 

1914—17 meetings 1919— 9 meetings to May 23d 



14 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

The official proceedings of the lioard of education for the past 10 
years have been read with care. It is apparent that the time and 
attention of the board have been directed constantly to the larger 
matter of school policy and the development of the school plant. 
As an illustration of this point of view on the part of education may 
be noted the action taken in April 1910 in appointing a committee to 
investigate the need of additional grounds around the school build- 
ings, and what should be done in regard to rebuilding the Fifth 
Street, Cleveland Avenue, and Whitney Avenue schools, or any of. 
the schools. This item early in the first year's minutes read is char- 
acteristic of the vision which the board has maintained during the 
past decade with regard to the necessity of ample school grounds 
and an adequate school plant. Many illustrations could be given of 
this attention to ]:)layground space. On the offer of property owners, 
space back of the Twenty-second Street school was rented for two 
years and then purchased as a permanent playground. The board 
investigated the purchase of property adjacent to the Thirteenth 
Street school, which was later acquired. Again the board consid- 
ered the advisability of playgrounds at the Third Street school, which 
were opened shortly after. The city authorities cooperated with the 
school board in endeavoring to secure a public school athletic field 
but the plan did not work out successfully. The frequent repetition 
of items of this character with reference to the various buildings 
indicates the large interest which the board has given to adequate 
school sites and playground space. During this decade not only 
were former sites enlarged, but new sites were purchased and sev- 
eral buildings erected. There has apparently been an educational 
consciousness on the part of the people of the community, as fre- 
quently i^etitions have been presented relative to progressive school 
policies, and the j)ublic has consistently supported the board of edu- 
cation when tax levies are voted for school sites or new buildings. 

The progressive attitude of the board of education and of various 
civic organizations has been evidenced through the steps that were 
taken to acquire the land adjacent to the high school. In this way 
a larger center has been established which gives a rather unusual 
setting to the high school grounds. The action of the board in re- 
(juesting the city authorities to purchase this property indicates the 
foresight that has been used in endeavoring to secure ample play- 
grounds or to enlarge the free space which was of limited areas. 

The board of education gives official recognition to the school ath- 
letic association. Many boards of education might do well to follow 
a similar policy. An athletic council under the direction of the board 




TWENTY-SECOND STREET SCHOOL 

Kindergarten and first seven grades 




TWENTY-FOURTH STREET SCHOOL 

A new elementary school, with modern equipment and with ample 

playground 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 15 

has been established. This is treated at length under the discussion 
of the school activities. 

The following summary of various activities on the part of the 
board of education during the past few years as noted from the 
minutes of the board, indicates the progressive spirit that has marked 
the development of the school organization. 

Early consideration was given to the departmentalizing of the work 
in the higher grammar grades ; to the extension of the manual train- 
ing course in the high school to include forge work; to evening 
schools ; to the curriculum and compensation of teachers. Millinery 
classes were established in connection with domestic science course ; 
" special help " rooms were organized in certain grade schools ; den- 
tal inspection was introduced into city schools in December 1912; 
vacation schools were discussed in 1913 and later established; a 
medical inspector of schools was appointed in 1913 ; room was granted 
to Italians for night school; a high school librarian was appointed 
in 1915; in 1917 the positions of city health officer and medical in- 
spector of schools were consolidated. The board has also consid- 
ered possible methods of relieving congestion, such as the Gary plan, 
lengthening the term for school ; offering courses for foreign-born ; 
petition from Italians for help; discontinuance of school fraternities. 
The real estate board appeared before the board of education to 
approve an extensive building plan to increase the number of schools. 
A preliminary study of the situation was made and the board asked 
for a survey by the State Department of Education. 

The city is most fortunate in the high type of representative that 
has been found on the board of education, including in its member- 
ship the leading men in the professional, commercial and industrial 
activities of the community. 

The board of education is not only a representative body but works 
in close cooperation with the various civic organizations of the city. 
It is essential in any community activity that the representative boards 
keep closely in touch with the public. In this way the board more 
correctl}' interprets the thought of the community, and the com- 
munity in turn is constantly being educated as to the needs of the 
situation. This seems to be the kind of cooperation between the 
board of education and the public that is observed in Niagara Falls. 
The board of education is actively endeavoring to acquaint the people 
with the needs of the schools and with the larger educational demands 
of the day. In turn, the chamber of commerce and other civic 
organizations are giving the best cooperation. The results of this 
work are in evidence through the larger school program now under 
way. 



16 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

The Superintendent of Schools 

The superintendent of schools is the executive head of the school 
system under the direction of the board of education. The provi- 
sions of the statute^ relative to the function of the superintendent of 
schools state that " the superintendent of schools is the chief execu- 
tive officer of the board and the educational system." It is his duty 
to prepare the content of each course of study; to recommend text- 
books to be used; to supervise all supervisors, principals, teachers, 
attendance officers, janitors and other persons employed in the man- 
agement of the schools ; and to exercise general supervision over all 
educational activities and interests under the direction and control 
of the board of education. Under this act teachers and other mem- 
bers of the teaching staff are appointed by the board of education 
upon the recommendation of the superintendent of schools. 

The superintendent of schools is very properly given full authority 
by the board of education for the executive and administrative func- 
tions of the position. He is the executive representative of the board 
of education. This is true in fact as well as in name. Business 
matters as well as instructional matters come under his supervision. 
There is no differentiation between the educational *nd financial dele- 
gation of authority. Both of these function through the superin- 
tendent of schools. The two can not be divorced. Sound adminis- 
tration requires that the financial policy be based on the educational 
needs. Niagara Falls is fortunate in that this fundamental theory is 
thoroughly recognized. 

In business matters the detail is handled by the clerk, but no steps 
are taken without the approval of the superintendent. In all matters 
of administration, educational as well as financial, the superintendent 
is the executive representative of the board and these functions are 
exercised with tireless energy. As the city and the educational 
system grow, more of the detail must be delegated to competent 
assistants. 

The Clerk of the Board 

The clerk of the board of education acts in a double capacity. He 
is the secretary of the board of education and also the executive clerk 
under the direction of the superintendent in charge of the financial 
and business affairs of the board. The by-laws of the board state 
that it is the duty of the clerk to notify the members of all meetings 
through personal notice or by mail. The clerk calls special meetings 
on the written request of any three members. The clerk is required 



1 Chapter 786, Laws of 1917. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 17 

to attend all meetings of the board and to keep a record of the pro- 
ceedings. He is required to file in the office of the board " all reports, 
resolutions, bids of contractors, contracts, accounts, vouchers and 
other papers and documents." 

The clerk functions in a somewhat larger sense than is indicated 
by the statement of duties in the by-laws. He assists the superin- 
tendent in looking after the condition of buildings and grounds. In 
a school system of this size, the clerk may very properly carry some 
of these duties and assist the superintendent in the details of admin- 
istration. It would be wise to modify slightly the rules of the board 
to indicate more clearly the functions of the clerk as an assistant to 
the superintendent in connection with business matters. 

Committees of the Board 

There are eight standing committees of the board of education. 
The committees, each consisting of three members, are: finance, 
teachers, buildings, grounds and janitors, supplies, course of study 
and manual training, libraries, rules, regulations and printing, and 
high school. 

Of the committees mentioned, the finance committee is in some 
respects the most important. It has supervision of the financial ac- 
counts. The finance committee is also responsible for the estimates 
of the amounts to be appropriated which are submitted to the board 
in preparation of the annual budget which is adopted by the board 
and forwarded to the city board of estimate and apportionment. 
This committee has a distinct function for the larger matters of 
audit, budget estimates and general oversight of matters of finance. 
The details of purchasing, however, and the responsibility for the 
handling of the routine of matters of finance should be delegated to 
the administrative representatives of the board. In fact, the board 
of education recognizes this principle in its procedure and has prop- 
erly placed such responsibility on its executive representatives. 

The formal rules of the board state that " it shall be the duty of 
the finance committee to examine all accounts and demands against 
the board, particularly as to the authority for and the correctness 
of the same and report thereon at each regular meeting and at such 
other times as the board may direct 4 to have supervision of the finan- 
cial accounts of the board and to require the same to be properly 
kept in good business form so as to enable each member to ascertain 
at once the condition of each fund ; to determine the fund from 
which any account or demand shall be paid and report at each regu- 
lar meeting all accounts and demands audited by it since the last 



18 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

report, with a brief statement of the purposes for which expenditure 
is made." 

This indicates the wise check which is made on the handhng of all 
school funds. It very properly gives the finance committee wide 
authority and discretion as to the use of the school moneys. 

At the same time, it might be expected from the literal observance 
of such a rule that the meetings of the board would be largely taken 
up with specific authorization for expenditures and with the approvals 
of petty accounts. This is not the case, however. 

Books or general supplies provided for in the general budget, the 
])urchase of which is authorized in the general list of books and sup- 
plies for the year, are ordered from time to time by the clerk of the 
board on the approval of the superintendent of schools without fur- 
ther action on the part of the board of education. This is one illus- 
tration showing the tendency on the part of the board to delegate 
authority to its executive representatives. It is further noted that 
the separate accounts to be paid at a regular meeting are audited by 
the clerk of the board, approved by the superintendent of schools, 
and submitted to the board in itemized form followed by the affidavit 
of .the superintendent and clerk. Such a plan not only places respon- 
sibility directly on the administrative representative, but insures 
greater efficiency than where a committee of three board members 
act in a routine manner on matters with which they can not be closely 
in touch. There is the constant check of the board's action on the 
clerk and the superintendent. Moreover, any item involving an ex- 
penditure of over $50 is ordered only after bids are received and the 
board has approved. It is observed, therefore, that the routine mat- 
ters relating to the purchase of petty supplies have been properly 
delegated to the administrative officers of the board. This illustrates 
in general the manner in which the committees function. 

A teachers committee is required, under the rules, to pass upon 
the qualifications of applicants for positions and to recommend to the 
board teachers for employment. The rules provide properly that no 
teacher shall be appointed or promoted whose qualifications are not 
approved by the superintendent. The committee is also required on 
or before the first regular meeting of the board in May of each year 
to prepare and recommend a list of teachers with the salary of each 
for the ensuing year. This committee might very properly be dis- 
continued. The responsibility for recommending teachers falls upon 
the superintendent of schools. This has been recognized for many 
years as sound educational administration. It is now recognized in 
this State by law. Salary schedules are also fixed in part by statute 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 19 

and in part by the rules and regulations of the board. There is no 
reason, therefore, why a special committee of the board needs to con- 
sider these matters. The recommendations of the superintendent 
should go directly to the board and the board should act in the matter 
as a committee of the whole. 

The building committee is responsible for the general supervision 
of temporary improvements and repairs to the school buildings which 
may be authorized by the board. This committee is required to report 
at each regular meeting, and at such other times as may be necessary, 
relative to its proceedings, the contracts entered into and the progress 
of work since the last meeting. The committee is also required to 
direct the preparation of plans and specifications and to have super- 
vision over the construction of new buildings, additions or improve- 
ments. It is believed to be unwise to hold the members of the board 
of education in a rapidly growing city — who are representative men 
with large personal or professional interests — responsible for the 
details of repairs or other improvements to the school buildings. 
These are very properly duties which should be delegated to the 
representatives of the board. A superintendent of buildings, under 
the direction of the superintendent of schools, may well be given 
administrative responsibility in such matters. We are advised that 
a superintendent of buildings has recently been appointed who will 
attend to many of the details of this work under the direction of the 
superintendent of schools. With an efficient superintendent of build- 
ings, questions of minor repairs to the school buildings should be 
delegated by the board to the superintendent of buildings who will 
act under the general direction of the superintendent of schools. 
Such a change in the administrative responsibility will relieve the 
board of the necessity of having a special committee for the purpose 
of attending to these matters. The superintendent of schools may 
report to the board from month to month the more important items 
of repair which have been given attention since the last meeting, and 
will ask at each meeting for the necessary authorization — which 
should be given by the board — to cover larger matters which need 
its consideration. 

A special committee on grounds and janitors has had charge of 
the care and improvement of the school grounds. This is, in a sense, 
illustrative of the tendency to increase the number of subcommittees. 
Ir should not be inferred that this committee has not done a very 
definite piece of constructive work. The school grounds in Niagara 
P'alls have had attention, and as will be noted in another chapter, the 
board has been active in enlarging the school grounds for play- 



20 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

f;rounds and recreational purposes. At the same time, it is very 
unusual, even when a board of education has several subcommittees, 
to find such a further subdivision as is found here, that is, one com- 
mittee on school buildings and the other on grounds and janitors. 
It would almost appear as though the janitors belong more definitely 
under the building committee than under the committee having to 
do with the grounds. This should not be interpreted as any criticism 
on the activities of the committees, as they undoubtedly performed 
tlieir functions well. At the same time, the important problem of 
providing" adequate playground facilities and of seeing that the 
grounds about the school buildings have proper attention for land- 
scape as well as for playground purposes may well be considered in 
general meeting except as the details in connection with the various 
problems are handled by the administrative officers of the board. 

The superintendent should be relieved somewhat of the detailed 
attention which he has given to the janitorial staff. In this matter 
the superintendent has recognized the great importance of clean, 
well-kept buildings and the necessity of checking these conditions 
closely. In no other way can efficiency be insured. Janitors are 
required to report every week on the conditions of their building, 
and these reports come directly to the superintendent of schools. 
The effect of this supervision is apparent. Other superintendents 
might profit by this plan. As the school plant increases, however, 
which will doubtless be rapid on account of the growth in population, 
the superintendent will be unable to supervise personally all these 
phases of the work. The board has recognized this need and the new 
superintendent of buildings gives his entire time to the upkeep, repair 
and general conditions of the school plant. The new buildings now 
under way or in prospect will make such a position even more 
essential. 

The purchasing of supplies is in the hands of the supply committee. 
The rules provide that the supply committee shall purchase and sup- 
ply the schools with textbooks, fuel, furniture and various other 
articles required for use in the schools when authorized by the board. 

As has already been stated, the purchasing of routine supplies other 
than those covered by the general estimates for the year and ordered 
at the beginning of the year are handled by the clerk under the gen- 
eral direction of the superintendent of schools. Items which repre- 
sent an expenditure of less than $50 are ordered by the clerk of the 
board on the direction of the superintendent. Bids are received on 
items in excess of $50 and authorization for the purchase is made by 
the board. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 



21 



The administrative procedure by which suppHes are ordered is 
organized so efficiently that it is deserving of more than mere men- 
tion. Under the general direction of the superintendent of schools 
the following form is used by the clerk of the board of education in 
ordering supplies or other materials as they may be needed, whether 
the order has been authorized by the board of education or is of a 
routine character. 



ORIGINAL 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 
NIAGARA FALLS, N. Y. 



Order No. 4234 



Niagara Falls, N. Y.,. 



M. 



Address 

Please enter our order for the following: 
Ship Via Ship When. 





Quantity 


DESCRIPTION 


Price 














. 
















! 






1 






1 









BOARD OF EDUCATION 
Clerk 



CONDITIONS 

INVOICE must be rendered on inclosed form 
and properly executed. Accounts are settled on 
the first Friday of each month. Bills must be 
presented by the last business day of the month. 



This order is issued in triplicate. The duplicate and triplicate are 
in the same form except that at the top of the duplicate are the words 
" duplicate — this copy must accompany invoice," and at the top of 



22 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

the triplicate are the words " tripHcate — this copy must be retained 
b}' shipper." The original is white, the duplicate yellow and the 
triplicate pink. There is, of course, a decided advantage in having 
the duplicate and the triplicate in different color from the original. 
Each copy is signed by the clerk of the board. With the order is 
inclosed a voucher form on which all bills to the board of education 
must be rendered. The voucher is in the usual form in which bills 
are prepared and at the bottom is space on which the shipper must 
make affidavit to the account as rendered. 

On the back of the voucher must be entered by the clerk the name, 
order number, amount, fund and date audited. There is also space 
for the signature of the clerk, certifying that the account has been 
examined and audited, and also space for the signature of the super- 
intendent indicating his approval of the bill. This illustrates the 
point already made that many of the details of purchasing supplies 
and auditing accounts have been properly delegated by the board of 
education "and even by the finance committee to their executive rep- 
resentatives. Formerly the auditing of each bill was done by the 
committee. It was then necessary for the committee to examine and 
approve each bill as rendered. The detail of this procedure has been 
very properly placed upon the clerk, and the approval of the super- 
intendent required. The clerk of the board, after having examined 
the list of bills to be presented at a given meeting (and these bills 
having received the approval of the superintendent), prepares a 
statement of the accounts payable. 

The procedure which has been established by the board of educa- 
tion in order to provide the necessary machinery for properly check- 
ing the details of all business matters has many excellent features 
and in many respects might well be copied by boards of education 
where no such definite administrative procedure has been inaugurated. 

The supply room is in the high school building in connection with 
the administrative ofiice of the board of education. It is in gener-al 
charge of the clerk of the board. There are two requisition forms 
used by the principals which differentiate between general supplies 
and books. 

It will be observed that this form must be signed by the principal 
and approved by the superintendent before the requisition can be 
filled. There is the further check of receipt of the articles as one 
form of the blank must be detached and signed by the principal cer- 
tifying to the effect that the articles had been received in good con- 
dition. The supply requisition is on a blue form ; the book requisi- 
tion on a yellow form. The use of such a requisition form necessi- 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 



23 



DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

NIAGARA FALLS 

BOOK REQUISITION 

191... 

Please send to School 

Fill in Both Parts of Blank 



Am't 
Wanted 



Do not use 
this column 
NO. SENT 



Approved. 



Principal 
Sup't 



DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

NIAGARA FALLS 

SUPPLY REQUISITION 

191.. 



Department of Education 

Niagara Falls 

Book Requisition 

Date of Requisition 191... 

School 



Do not use 
this column 
NO. SENT 



Please send to School 



Am't 
Wanted 



Am't on Do Not 

Hand Fill This 



Principal 



Approved- 



Sup't 

Fill in Both Parts of Blank, Separating School 
Supplies from Janitor's Supplies 



Received the Above Articles in 
Good Condition 

Prin. 
191.... 

Department of Education 

Niagara Falls 

Supply Requisition 

Date of Requisition 191.... 

School 

Do Not 
Fill This 



Received the Above Articles in 
Good Condition 



Principal 

.191.... 



24 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

tates a knowledge on the part of the principal as to the amount 
needed, based upon the needs of the school. It further gives the 
clerk a very definite check on the amount of any particular material 
that is being used in any given school. Too often there is no sys- 
tematic procedure in handling the general supplies used in the schools. 
This can not be said of Niagara Falls. The forms in use provide an 
excellent blank for keeping a constant check on the general school 
supplies and furnish a permanent and continuing record of the needs 
of the various schools. The only suggestion offered in this connec- 
tion is that probably as the school population increases and the respon- 
sibilities of the superintendent of schools become even greater than 
at present, several details of administration, such as the approval of 
the requisition forms mentioned above, will have to be delegated still 
further to the clerk, who may well be made responsible in such 
matters. 

It is apparent from an examination of the printed rules and regu- 
lations of the board, which outline in detail the duties of the various 
standing committees, that in the administration of the school organi- 
zation many of the duties nominally assigned to one or another com- 
mittee have been in large part delegated to their executive represen- 
tatives, the superintendent of schools and the clerk of the board. In 
other words, the board recognizes the modern tendency in educa- 
tional administration, which has in large part eliminated the detail 
work of committee assignments through the placing of larger re- 
sponsibility on the executive officers of the board. As the board 
functions in large part as a whole rather than through committees, 
serious consideration might well be given to the wisdom of doing 
away entirely with all committees. There is large responsibility on 
the board as a deliberative body, which must determine as the repre- 
sentatives of the city school district the educational policies to be 
carried out. These large matters are for the consideration, not of 
the members as individuals, not of committees, but of the board as 
a unit. This larger conception of the board of education as a legis- 
lative body has made more important their responsibility for general 
policies and the development of the school program over a period of 
years. Notwithstanding the number of committees provided for in 
the by-laws, the board of education of Niagara Falls is not bound 
by committee procedure as is true in many cities. Their important 
and proper functions are recognized and performed as a unit. This 
is well illustrated through the recent study which the board made 
looking toward the development of the school plant and the enlarge- 
ment of the educational opportunities for the children of the city, in 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 25 

connection with which chapters 11 and 12 of this report were 
prepared and submitted to the board in advance. The committee 
organization, which is largely nominal, could be eliminated without 
embarrassment. 

Summary 

The board of education of Niagara Falls consists of nine members 
who are appointed by the mayor of the city. The term of service is 
5 years. 

The annual budget is prepared by the board of education on or 
before the first day of April each, year and presented to the city 
commissioners for approval. The board of education may pass any 
item over the objection of the city commissioners by the approval 
of three- fourths of its membership. 

To a large degree the school authorities are free from municipal 
control in the financial management of the schools, as expenditures 
are made under their direct control and supervision. This policy 
agrees with the best thought governing sound administrative pro- 
cedure in school matters. This doubtless explains in part the pro- 
gress which has been made in Niagara Falls in insuring a progressive 
educational program -for the city. 

The city is fortunate in the high type of representative that has 
l)een found on the board of education, including in its membership 
the leading men in the professional, commercial and industrial activi- 
ties of the community. The term of service of the members has been 
reasonably continuous. In all matters of administration, educational 
as well as financial, the superintendent is the executive representa- 
tive of the board. Sound administration requires that the financial 
policy be based on the educational needs. Niagara Falls is fortunate 
in that this important theory is recognized. The clerk functions in 
a somewhat larger sense than the term would indicate. He is an 
assistant to the superintendent in connection with buildings and finan- 
cial matters. His work is definitely organized and the rules of the 
board might well be modified slightly to indicate more clearly his 
functions. 

There are eight standing committees of the board of education : 
finance, teachers, buildings, grounds and janitors, supplies, course 
of study and manual training, libraries, rules, regulations and print- 
ing", and high school. 

In the administration of the school organization many of the duties 
nominally assigned to one committee or another have been in large 
part delegated to their executive representatives — the superintendent 
of schools .and the clerk of the board. The board in practice there- 



26 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

fore recognizes the modern tendency in educational administration 
which has in large part eliminated the detail work of committee 
assignments through the placing of larger responsibilities on the 
executive officers of the board. 

As the board functions in large part as a whole rather than through 
committees, serious consideration might well be given to the wisdom 
of doing away entirely with all committees. Notwithstanding the 
number of committees provided for in the by-laws, the board of 
education of Niagara Falls is not bound by committee procedure as 
is true in many cities. 

The business procedure and office routine in connection with the 
purchasing of supplies and the ordering of materials is unusually well 
organized. These details are very efficiently administered and the 
procedure might well be followed in other school organizations. Effi- 
cient business procedure is as essential in school administration as in 
other activities. It is too often given little or no attention. This 
work is effectively administered in Niagara Falls. The board of edu- 
cation is actively endeavoring to acquaint the people with the needs 
of the schools and with the larger educational demands of the day. 
In turn, the chamber of commerce and other civic organizations are 
giving the best of cooperation. The results of this work are in evi- 
dence through the larger school program now under way. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 27 



SUPERVISION 

The program for supervision is one of the most important features 
of a city school system. In a rural school the teacher is in a sense 
not only teacher, but also principal and supervisor. In a village 
school the principal is the supervisor. In the larger unit, hov^ever, 
where there are thousands of children and hundreds of teachers, 
there must be thorough and efficient supervision, vi^hich requires 
specially trained persons to assist in directing the educational work 
of the schools. 

The keynote of a successful school system lies in its supervision. 
The function of the supervisory staff in a system the size of Niagara 
Falls is to organize and to put into successful operation a clearly 
defined program of studies, closely articulating in every part from 
tlie lowest to the highest grades, with careful attention to the relative 
time balance in this program and with a carefully worked out scheme 
for the use of the material of instruction. 

With such a general policy established, the technic of instruction, 
including the organization of classwork, the procedure from grade 
to grade, the consideration of individual interests, the correlation 
and the motivation of work as illustrated phases of supervision, lie 
in the hands of this supervisory staff under the immediate direction 
of the head of the school system. 

It is gratifying to find in Niagara Falls the evidence of an intelli- 
gent and progressive scheme for the direction of the schools of the 
city. This supervision has concerned itself not only with the details 
of administration, the machinery for operating a school system, those 
elements of business administration which characterize a well-ordered 
office system, but in a notable degree there has been evidenced here 
a careful direction and guidance of actual instruction. The selection 
of teachers, the introduction into the curriculum of modern features, 
the proper time allotment for divisions of a subject, the study of the 
problem of program-making, the use of mimeographed outlines pre- 
pared by the superintendent and by his assistants for pupils both in 
study and in recitation, the personal consideration of pupils' pro- 
gress and of promotions, are among the many indications that the 
superintendent knows personally the characteristics and the work of 
his teachers both in the grades and in the high school more intimately. 



28 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

and directs their efforts more minutely when needed and more intelH- 
gently than is the case in many places. It is probable that with the 
continued growth of the city it will be impossible for him, or any 
superintendent, in the future to give the close personal attention to 
the details of instruction that he has given in the past. It will be 
necessary for him to carry forward his supervisory functions with 
respect to instruction more and more through associate supervisors. 
This is now being done in part through the various supervisors of 
instruction. 

The present organization of the supervisory stafif is as follows: 
a director of primary grades, a director of extension work, six super- 
visors of special subjects and thirteen special teachers working under 
the direction of these supervisors. It is natural that in a city with 
so many diversified industries and with the opportunities indicated 
for training in vocational subjects, the school system should reflect 
these special activities. This is evidenced in the relatively large 
number of supervisors and special teachers which Niagara Falls 
now has. These supervisors, together with their assistants — who 
are more largely concerned with actual teaching than with super- 
vision — have developed in an admirable way this phase of the 
school work. 

The work of the six supervisors is threefold in character. It in- 
cludes (1) the organization of courses and of material of instruc- 
tion, (2) observation of actual teaching, and (3) personal classroom 
instruction (model lessons). 

The relative time distribution between these three phases of their 
work varies. One supervisor may find it necessary to give greater 
attention to the preparation of outlines or to group conferences, while 
another prefers to direct the teachers through the observation of 
model lessons. 

Grades 

There are in Niagara Falls thirteen'^ elementary school principals. 
Of the thirteen, two are college graduates (these two are also normal 
school graduates), three are normal school graduates, and the remain- 
ing eight are high school graduates. 

Three of the principals have taken from one to three summer 
courses each, and three others have taken from one to four summer 
courses each at Chautauqua. 

Six of the thirteen principals hold no higher certificate than a first 
grade, which is no longer issued but was granted on examination 



1 One other elementary school has been opened since data were secured. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 



29 



without any professional requirement. Three of those holding these 
first grade certificates have had no professional training whatever. 
Two others have had no professional training except methods in 
training class. 

The teaching experience of these principals ranges from 7 years 
to 36 years. The average number of years' experience of the group 
is 26 years. Ten of the thirteen principals have taught from 24 to 
36 years, an average teaching experience of 29 years. 



Table 2 
Principal's experience 

Years in Total years 

present position Other experience teaching experience 



Principal A . 
B. 
C. 
D. 
E. 
F. 
G. 
H. 

J. 
K. 
L. 

M. 
N. 

Average .. . . 



2 

2 

3 

7 

9 

13 

18 

21 

9 

13 

14 

25 

6 

10 



5 
9 
15 
17 
16 
14 
10 
7 
20 
16 
17 
10 
30 

15 



7 
11 
18 
24 
25 
27 
28 
28 
29 
29 
31 
35 
36 

25 



The long-continued service of the elementary school principals is 
indicative of a permanency of tenure which should be conducive to 
professional growth. 

Teaching is rapidly becoming a scientific profession. There is a 
science of teaching. To insure the use of this scientific material in 
the classroom there must be a leadership which is thoroughly familiar 
with the rapid development of professional thought during recent 
years. The leadership in each school is measured by the principal. 
Occasionally these positions are looked upon as the soft berths in the 
elementary school organization. Where this is true the entire school 
v.nll suffer from the lack of progressive leadership. There are few 
positions which require more constant effort in keeping in touch 
with the development of educational thought than the principalship 
of an elementary school. Here and there in any organization will be 
found teachers thoroughly alive and keen to sense present needs and 



30 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

to make use of modern methods. To make possible united effort of 
this character and to arouse the professional enthusiasm of every 
teacher there must be the inspiring leadership of the principal. 

Many of the principals are doing excellent supervisory work, and 
a commendable spirit throughout the school system is marked. This 
is due we believe largely to the progressive spirit and active interest 
in every phase of the school work that is constantly shown by the 
superintendent of schools. More of this responsibility should be car- 
ried by the school principals. Principals should be doing original 
work in studying their peculiar school problems. Too often elemen- 
tary school principals become narrow in their work and permit 
themselves to fall into a daily routine of duties, important it is true, 
but mechanical in character, which adds little to the life and growth 
of the school. Few school positions offer a wider field for constant 
study of live educational problems than the elementary school prin- 
cipalship. To make the most of such a position one must keep in 
close touch with the developments in modern educational thought. 

The principals are responsible for the supervision of school units 
ranging from an enrolment of 138 pupils in the Maple Avenue school 
to 895 pupils in the Cleveland Avenue School. The enrolment and 
the average daily attendance in the elementary schools are given in 
the table for the purpose of noting the amount of detail work which 
must be done by the principal in these schools. 

Table 3 
Enrolment in elementary schools 

Average daily Number 

School Enrolment attendance of teachers 

Cleveland Avenue 895 855 28 

Fifth Street 816 760 24 

Twenty-fourth Street 625 568 15 

Thirteenth Street 580 532 14 

Whitney Avenue 534 486 13 - 

Twenty-second Street 523 446 13 

Tenth Street 492 .... 13 

Ferry Avenue 472 431 12 

Sugar Street 383 368 10 

Ashland Avenue 362 331 11 

Center Avenue 362 342 10 

Third Street 220 203 6 

Maple Avenue 138 125 4 

Enrolment per teacher varies from 2)2 to 41 

Average attendance per teacher varies from 30 to 38 

High school 960 .... 40 

Enrolment per teacher in high school is 24 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 31 

A large elementary school is one of the most important institutions 
in any community. The product which it is constantly turning out 
is beyond value. Scientific methods should govern its organization 
and administration. This is quite as important as a superior teaching 
staff in the classroom. 

In answer to an inquiry as to the number of hours a day given to 
classroom supervision and to ofifice duties, it was found that the time 
given to supervision varies widely. If the statements given are cor- 
rect, the principal of the smallest school gives the greatest number of 
hours daily to supervision. This may be quite true as the clerical 
and routine office tasks must necessarily be much lighter in the smaller 
school. The average number of hours a day given by the principals 
to supervision is 3, and an average of 2 hours daily is given to office 
duties. Undoubtedly additional time is given to school work which 
does not appear in this distribution. 

The amount of clerical work which must be done by the elemen- 
tary school principal is a serious problem. Some of this work may 
be useless and not worth doing. There are also additional special 
tasks and compilations which would be of great value and impor- 
tance in measuring the progress of pupils which oftentimes are not 
done because of lack of time or of definite objectives. The clerical 
work to be done should be carefully evaluated and some plan worked 
out whereby some clerical assistance could be provided. In two 
large schools the kindergarten teacher gives some assistance. In all 
the other schools there is no clerical help. The high school principal 
has the full time of one clerk, and an assistant for a portion of the 
time. 

If a principal is qualified professionally for his work his time is 
too valuable to be given to routine clerical work. A clerk at a clerk's 
salary should be assigned to the clerical duties. If the principal is 
qualified only for a clerical job, he should be given a clerk's salary, 
and one trained for educational work appointed as principal. A pos- 
sible solution might be to adjust the clerical work in the principal's 
office in the different elementary schools so that two or three clerks, 
trained in the special duties, might be able to do the general clerical 
work for all the elementary school principals. This suggestion may 
not be the best. It would appear, however, that some clerical assist- 
ance is essential. This is especially true in the large schools. A prin- 
cipal of a large elementary school should be able to give the greater 
part of his time to the vital educational problems of his school and 
community. 



32 • THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Meetings and Conferences 

An indication of the type of leadership in the principals is shown 
by the character and frequency of teachers' meetings. There is no 
standard procedure in this matter. One principal states that he has 
a teachers' meeting every Monday afternoon. The practice in the 
other schools varies. One principal states that he has sometimes 
three a month and again only one a month. Another states " about 
one in two months," etc. 

There may be no relation between the lack of definite meetings of 
the teachers of the different buildings, under the direction of the 
principal, and the lack of professional growth on the part of the 
principals through summer session work. One is compelled, how- 
ever, to note the two facts side by side. The conditions observed do 
not indicate a strong professional spirit on the part of the principals. 

During the year a series of conferences has been held in which the 
reorganization of the elementary course of study and general methods 
of class procedure have been under consideration. These conferences 
have consisted of committees of teachers appointed by the superin- 
tendent for this special study. It is apparent that the work has been 
undertaken with enthusiasm and the various groups are accomplish- 
ing a very important work for the schools of the city. Further refer- 
ence to the work of these groups and some features of their recom- 
mendation are given in the chapter on the course of study and 
instruction in the elementary grades. 

The impression was gained that the teachers' meetings held by the 
principals are called for the most part for the purpose of inform- 
ing teachers with regard to general instructions, such as those given 
out by the superintendent of schools, and for the discussion of other 
matters of a general character. A few principals state that in the 
teachers' meetings they discussed special matters pertaining to the 
structural work of the schools, that this follows and is based on the 
observation of the work in the schoolroom. It is to be noted, how- 
ever, that only one principal states that a professional book or topics 
of a professional character were at times taken up for discussion at 
the teachers' conferences. It is significant to note here in brief that 
the teaching staff through conferences and group meetings takes an 
active part in organizing and planning, with the cooperation of the 
superintendent of schools, the instructional work of the schools. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 33 

Supervisor of Primary Grades 

The work of the first, second and third grades is under the general 
direction of the primary supervisor, who endeavors to visit each 
teacher once each month, but more frequently when a teacher is new 
or in need of special assistance. The supervisor of primary grades 
is directly responsible for the work in reading, language, spelling and 
numbers. The other subjects are looked after by the supervisors of 
special subjects. 

Group meetings of the primary teachers are held once each month, 
at which outlines are discussed and explained, type lessons are pre- 
sented by the supervisor, modern methods are discussed, and indi- 
vidual teachers are invited to present methods and devices they have 
found helpful. Conferences with individual teachers are held in their 
buildings or in the office by appointment. Type lessons are also pre- 
sented occasionally by the supervisor in the classroom. At least once 
during the year a type lesson is observed in each subject. 

One of the plans now under way is the organization of committees 
in the different grade groups to plan problems to be worked out dur- 
ing the year. From time to time the teachers contribute games for 
drill which they have found helpful. These are typewritten and dis- 
tributed among the teachers. 

During the past two years stress has been laid on the subjects of 
reading and language, and the necessity of closely correlating the 
work in these two subjects. Excellent use is made of rhymes, stories 
and songs. Emphasis is placed on good articulation and pronuncia- 
tion, as necessary to good reading, and careful attention is given to 
phonics. 

Every effort is made toward motivation of the work. The habit 
of observation is trained from the first in such a way that the con- 
nection between the school and the home is felt. Silent reading is 
emphasized. As the work advances more time is spent on actual 
reading, the phonetic work being given in separate periods. Greater 
emphasis is placed on thought-getting and thought-giving. Supple- 
mentary books are used freely. Many school library books have 
recently been added to the equipment of the grade rooms so that the 
schools are now well equipped with supplementary reading material. 
Beginning with the third grade some books are sent from the public 
library. 

The work in these primary grades is efficiently directed. Here is 
every evidence of thorough supervision. As an indication of the 
correlation of subjects it was observed that occasionally simple arith- 
metic problems are used to intensif}' the interest and test the accuracy 



34 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

in reading. Reproduction and dramatization are in common use, and 
pictures gathered by the pupils are used for original stories and writ- 
ten work in these grades. Collections of pictures are also made for 
use in connection with the geography and history material used in the 
third grade. 

It is worth while to emphasize the advantages of a close direction 
of the fundamental subjects in the elementary course of study 
through the work of the primary supervisor. It was observed by 
the specialists that the reading was less satisfactory in the intermediate 
grades than in the primary grades of the schools of Niagara Falls. 
The condition was not ascribed to a less satisfactory quality of teach- 
ing ability than that found in the primary grades, but it seems to be 
quite directly traceable to the lack of unified and competent leader- 
ship in the gramnicir grades which shall clearly define the aims of the 
teachers' work in these grades. This might be organized through 
tiie selection of a supervisor of grammar grades, who shall do for 
the grades under her control what has already been done by the 
director of primary grades. 

Supervisor of Drawing 

Through the first six grades drawing is taught by the grade teacher 
under the direct supervision of the drawing supervisor, who endeav- 
ors to observe the work in each of these classrooms at least once in 
two weeks. Some personal instruction is given to the grade teacher 
at each of these visits. Grade meetings are held by the drawing 
supervisor at irregular periods. Typed outlines of work are given 
to each teacher every two months. These take the place of a printed 
course of study, and make it possible to revise the material from time 
to time as the needs demand. This is far superior to the policy that 
is often followed of putting into printed form a course of study with 
fixed requirements from month to month and of holding rigidly to 
this fixed outline from year to year. In addition to the typed out- 
lines given out by the supervisor, each teacher has desk copTes of 
several of the best art textbooks available. 

In the seventh and eighth grades the work is organized depart- 
mentally and taught by special drawing teachers under the direction 
of the supervisor of drawing. There are also special drawing rooms 
where this work is done. 

The work is organized as a unit from the first grade through the 
eighth. The courses are well defined and cover the following sub- 
jects :^ 

^ As given by tfie drawing supervisor. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 35 

a Color. Teaching color theories and harmonies and the methods 
of applying such knowledge to problems of daily life. 

b Art appreciation. Acquainting the children with beautiful pic- 
tures and art objects and each year giving them some definite knowl- 
edge of a few of such pictures and objects. 

c Commercial design. Including some knowledge of lettering, 
picture mounting, design proportions as related to book titles, signs, 
posters etc. 

d Interior decoration. Endeavoring to give the child some idea of 
the use of color and form as related to the furnishing of a modest 
home. 

e Costume design. Teaching the use of color, line and spacing as 
related to the costume. 

/ Constructive design. Teaching the use of the ruler in planning 
simple constructed objects of some practical use. 

g Nature drawing. Teaching the child to see form and in some 
slight degree to reproduce it. for the purpose of application in design 
motifs or otherwise. 

h Object drawing (for practically the same purposes). To teach 
the children to see form, to reproduce it in some slight degree and 
to use that ability and knowledge in the formation of original ideas 
in design and commercial advertising. This knowledge of object 
drawing is also used in correlation with other subjects, with story 
telling and language work in the lower grades, with geography and 
history in the upper grades. 

An effort is made to correlate the work of the drawing department 
with all other phases of the school work, doing some project work 
in the intermediate grades which closely correlates the drawing, Eng- 
lish and geography, and in the seventh and eighth grades and high 
school, correlating the design with the work of the domestic science 
and manual training departments. 

Supervisor of Domestic Science 

The courses in domestic science and art are sewing, which begins 
in the fourth grade, extending through the second year of high school, 
and cooking, which is offered in the seventh and eighth grades and 
in the first two years of high school. 

The supervisor is a teacher in the high school ; unfortunately, how- 
ever, she has only one-half of a day each week for actual supervision. 
That half day is spent observing the work of the four other teachers 
in the department. The supervisor outlines the work to be done and 
holds a monthly meeting for discussion and outlining plans. 



36 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

It is frequently a most excellent plan to organize the elementary 
and secondary work as a unit by putting the supervision of the entire 
field covering a given sul^ject in charge of one person. We believe 
that the plan for the supervision of the homemaking courses is wise. 
It should result in a unity of effort which might not otherwise be 
secured. Unfortunately, however, the time allotted for the actual 
work of supervision is so limited that it would be unfair to hold the 
supervisor responsible for the detail of the program to be carried 
forward. Under such conditions the results must be measured in 
large part by the initiative of the regular teacher. This is not a rea- 
sonable organization for the supervision of such an important part 
of the educational program. As the work becomes reorganized in 
the higher grades in accordance with the intermediate school program 
this field will become of much larger importance and undoubtedly 
provision will be made for more complete supervision. Under the 
present program the supervisor has some teaching periods, but the 
new plan provides for full time for supervisory duties. 

Supervisor of Penmanship 

. The supervisor of penmanship is responsible for the direction of 
the work in penmanship in all grades of the elementary schools of the 
city. The schedule of the supervisor provides for a two-week pro- 
gram during which time all schools are visited. 

During the past year two series of meetings have been held. There 
have been meetings in each building for the teachers of that particu- 
lar school. There has also been a series of grade meetings for the 
purpose of outlining the work and of giving special help to the 
teachers of each grade. 

At the time of the biweekly visit, the lesson is sometimes con- 
ducted by the teacher and at other times by the supervisor. The 
supervisor aims at all times to give constructive criticism. 

Written lessons in other subjects are often inspected for- the 
supervisor believes that the writing lesson is of little value except as 
it, is a preparation for all written work. The supervisor also en- 
deavors to inspect the writing in other lessons at the time of prepara- 
tion, but because of her crowded schedule it is not often possible. 

Supervisor of Music 

The supervision of music is limited to the elementary grades, the 
same as penmanship. The supervisor of music is responsible for 
the work in the elementary schools. An effort is made on the part 
of the supervisor to visit each grade teacher at least once in two 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 37 

weeks. Where teachers are unusually strong she visits the class once 
in four weeks. 

In connection with the class visit the supervisor frequently gives 
model lessons, and at other times observes the instruction as given 
by the teacher. Grade meetings are held occasionally. Special groups 
are called together, as for instance new teachers who may need special 
instruction. Individual conferences are also held frequently. 

The following brief outline submitted by the supervisor indicates 
the general scope of the work. 

First grade. The work is largely by imitation, ear training, match- 
ing tones and rote songs, simple songs and art songs. 

Second grade. Ear training, rote songs, visualization, vise of books 
in the last part of year. 

Third grade. Study of signs of key and time, interval studies, 
rhythm studies, scale studies, songs. 

Fourtli grade. Third grade work continued, with more compli- 
cated forms and more definite drill. 

Fiflh grade. Additional problems of time and tone with study of 
chromatics added. Part singing introduced. 

Sixth grade. Part singing in two and three parts with sight read- 
ing continued. Minor keys studied. 

Sez'ciiih and eighth grades. A general review of key and time 
problems as found in the part music written for these grades. Chorus 
singing. 

There are grade orchestras in the larger schools. These are under 
the general direction of the sujjervisor. Some excellent work of this 
character is done. 

Supervisor of Physical Training 
The physical training work is in charge of one supervisor and two 
assistants, two men and one woman, the assistants locally called di- 
rectors. The work of the department is organized as follows : 

The supervisor outlines and plans the policy and work of the whole 
department, personally supervising all the setting-up work in the 
eleven grade schools and high school and all the playground and 
athletic work in the grade schools. The two assistants, or directors, 
teach all the gymnasium classwork in the high school, conduct the 
high school athletics, and supervise the "work in one grade school one 
half of a day each week under the supervision of the supervisor. 
All outlines of work in physical training and athletics are prepared 
by the supervisor and furnished to the directors and teachers. 

The setting-up work is taught in the classroom by teachers who 
follow an outline furnished by the supervisor, who visits each teacher 



38 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

once a month to observe the work and give instruction. The high 
school teachers are met in a general meeting once every two months 
where new outlines and instruction are given by the supervisor. 

In the grade schools 40 minutes of setting-up exercises and 60 
minutes of supervised play are required of all pupils. Outlines for 
setting-up exercises and games are furnished and taught by the super- 
visor who visits every grade once in two weeks, at which time he 
observes the old lesson and teaches the new. A new lesson, con- 
taining exercises, games and athletics, is furnished every month. All 
setting-up exercises are taught in four two-minute periods. 

The games are given in the classroom when the weather is too 
severe, and on the playground when the outdoor conditions permit. 

There are at present eight playgrounds surfaced and partly 
equipped where all boys and girls are given supervised play and 
athletics. 

In the high school all pupils are required to take one hour of gym- 
nasium and 40 minutes of setting-up work in the classroom each 
week. The gymnasium work is taught in two classes a week of 40 
minutes each by physical training directors in the gymnasiums. 

The grade school athletics include a cross-country (paced) run 
of 2 miles for boys in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades that are 
physically fit. Representative school baseball teams are organized 
for sixth, seventh and eighth grade boys. A field day is held each 
year for grade school boys and girls from the sixth, seventh and 
eighth grades. 

Industrial Arts 

The work in industrial arts begins in the fourth year of the ele- 
mentary course and continues through the high school. The director 
of industrial arts is also in charge of the vocational school and of the 
vocational work in the evening school. 

This department has grown rapidly during the last 3 years. Three 
years ago there were three special teachers ; there are now seven 
teachers on full time and two on part time. It is expected that sev- 
eral teachers will be added at the beginning of the next school year. 
At that time the director of the work will prol)ably be given full time 
for supervision. 

The supervisor endeavors to visit each department of work that 
is being carried on by a special teacher at least once each week. At 
that time the work is carefully inspected and constructive sugges- 
tions are made. Outlines of the work for the year are given to the 
teachers by the supervisor after these have been approved by the 
superintendent, and frequently conferences are held by the super- 




HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS GYMNASIUM CLASS 




HIGH SCHOOL BOYS PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS ON PLAYGROUND 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 39 

visor at which all industrial and mechanical drawing teachers are 
present for a general discussion of problems. These outlines are 
\ery properly flexible rather than fixed and suggest to the teachers 
types of work to be done. Considerable latitude is left to the indi- 
vidual teacher to develop the work as his initiative and resourceful- 
ness may suggest and as the needs of the individual pupil may require. 

The work of the industrial arts department is begun in the fourth 
grade and continued through the high school. The work in the fourth 
and fifth grades was begun during the present year and consists of 
coping saw work in thin wood, the pupils making toys and small 
novelties. The work is Ijoth practical and instructive. The time 
given to this work in the fourth and fifth grades is 45 minutes each 
week. In some schools the work is done in the manual training shop ; 
in other schools, rooms have been fitted up in the basement for this 
purpose. 

In the sixth grade the work is confined to the making of small 
household articles, bird houses and problems of this type. In the 
seventh grade larger projects are undertaken such as bookracks, 
taborets, plant stands or other projects of this type which the boys 
may wish to undertake. The aim of all the industrial work in the 
seventh grade tends more to the development of initiative and the 
ability to grasp an idea and embody it in some practical, useful pro- 
ject rather than merely skill or technic, although. these are not in any 
sense neglected. 

The shop work in the eighth grade consists of individual projects 
in cabinet work and applied decoration, as cane weaving, copper work 
or upholstery. This work is used in the grades as the basis for much 
related work. So far the work in the grades has been confined to 
woodwork but plans are under way to present simple problems in 
both the seventh and eighth grades in sheet metal, copper work, con- 
crete and electricity in so far as the shop facilities will permit. The 
periods for shop work in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades are 
all one hour. The work is carried on in the shops or centers in the 
elementary schools. 

The shop work in the high school has thus far been handicapped 
on account of the small amount of space available for the work. The 
work in the first year is planned to cover the fundamentals of car- 
pentry and cabinet-making. The first half of the second year of high 
school is devoted to wood turning. Every efifort is being made to tie 
up the various projects with some trade interest. The second half 
of the second year is given to elementary sheet metal work. This 
work functions well and is correlated with second year drawing. 



40 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

The third year is devoted to larger work in sheet metal in which pails, 
pans, ash cans and similar work is undertaken. Many projects are 
worked out for the school department. Few boys register for shop 
work in their senior year. This is undoubtedly due in part to the 
lack of adequate equipment for the technical work of this type. 
Those who do elect the work usually have some special project which 
they wish to carry forward for themselves. 

The vocational school is treated at greater length elsewhere. The 
vocational machine shop course was begun only during the present 
3'ear. It is planned to instal additional courses in the vocational school 
another year, including advanced machine shop work and also a prac- 
tical electrical course. At the present time elementary machine shop 
work is given and applied mathematics that functions with the daily 
shop work. Practical problems in algebra, geometry and trigonome- 
try are given. The drawing work given is correlated and all the 
problems made in the shop are worked out in advance in the drawing 
room. The English work that is given articulates also with the sub- 
ject matter of the other vocational courses. 

Extension Work 

The extension work as carried on in the city of Niagara Falls is 
somewhat unique in its development. In this work various related 
types of activities have been brought together and are being admin- 
istered efficiently. 

The field of supervision, under the director of extension work, in- 
cludes Americanization in school, home and factory, evening schools, 
extension lectures, and other work of this general character. It is 
to be noted that these activities are a part of the educational program 
of the board of education under the supervision of the superintendent 
of schools, for which regular provision is made in the annual budget. 

The peculiar character of the work and the duties that fall to the 
director of this work prevent any fixed weekly or other schedule of 
supervision. 

Extension work in the city is conducted in homes, schools, fac- 
tories and in other centers as conditions arise. The evening schools 
opened September 29, 1919, and closed March 30, 1920, being in 
session 68 days during this period. The Americanization classes 
began September 4, 1919, and closed April 27, 1920. Two classes 
continued later, one because of late organization and the other, the 
citizenship class, on account of June court. The school classes are 
held Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 7.30 to 9.30 in the even- 
ing. The factory classes have been conducted as unit courses ac- 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 41 

cording to factory conditions. The hours vary, some running 2^ 
hours, others 3^ hours, some 4 hours a week in accordance with fac- 
tory demands. The teachers in general are paid by the board of 
education. The home classes so far have been held for one hour a 
week, conducted by volunteer teachers. In this brief review of the 
supervision of work, mention can only be made of the general char- 
acter of the work. The courses so far as possible are in accordance 
with community needs. The evening high school is the main center 
for the evening and extension work. Here were conducted, in addi- 
tion to the citizenship class and the English classes, the work of 
special interest to women, including sewing, millinery, cookery, die- 
tetics, Red Cross home nursing, and china painting. The dietetics 
class included all the pupil nurses of St Mary's Hospital. The home 
nursing was financed by the Red Cross. 

Classes in Italian, Spanish and French were conducted. The busi- 
ness classes included stenography, typewriting and bookkeeping. On 
account of the unusual interest these were continued after the close 
of the general session. Business English, business arithmetic, and 
business writing were included. Algebra, geometry and trigonome- 
try were in demand. There was a class in electrical theory and prac- 
tice, a beginning and advanced class in mechanical drawing, one class 
in cabinet-making and three classes in chemistry. 

The total registration in the extension work for the year exceeded 
1800. There were 792 in the Americanization and citizenship classes, 
with 24 nationalities represented. One secret of the success of the 
extension work in Niagara Falls has undoubtedly been the recogni- 
tion of the importance of keeping the work in close touch with com- 
munity needs. 

The Americanization work included 32 classes in English, of which 
12 were in the evening schools, 8 in factories, and 12 in home classes. 
The home classes have been conducted largely by volunteer teachers. 
Although they were started late and interrupted by health conditions 
in the city, the beginnings have been most encouraging. A council 
of women, composed of representatives from the women's organiza- 
tions of the city, as widely cosmopolitan as possible and including 
representatives of the so-called foreign societies, has been organized 
to consider the proljlems connected with the women's classes. Invi- 
tations for volunteer teachers to teach in the homes have been secured 
by the teachers of the public schools whose splendid work in Ameri- 
canization can never be overestimated. Classes were conducted in 
seven factories (three more than the preceding year) with an enrol- 
ment of 154. The success was due in part to the splendid coopera- 



42 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

tion of the factory authorities. In two instances, that of the National 
Electro-Chemical Company, as one class, and that of the National 
Carbon Company, as two classes, so successful did the management 
deem the work that when the school budget was exhausted the two 
factories placed the teachers on the factory payrolls in order to finish 
the courses. Such action indicates the splendid community spirit that 
has supported the evening schools and Americanization work. In 
the high school there has been community singing and social evenings 
for the Americanization classes with an unusual spirit of cooperation 
and enjoyment. 

High School / 

The Niagara Falls High School occupies a plant l^eautifully located, 
reasonably modern, but inadequate for the large needs of secondary 
education in the rapidly growing industrial community which it 
serves. In this chapter it is not our purpose to enter into any dis- 
cussion of the type of work or courses of study ofifered but merely 
to outline the organization and supervision through which the work 
of the school is administered. 

Under the direction of the superintendent of schools the high 
school principal is responsible for the supervision and administration 
of the high school and activities, There is a vice principal, a woman, 
who also acts as a supervisor over all scholarship and attendance 
records, and as a supervisor of girls. There is also a clerk in the 
office who gives general assistance to the principal and vice principal. 

There are no heads of departments as are usually found in a 
high school of this size. An advantage of the departmental organiza- 
tion, with a head in charge of each major line of work, is so generally 
conceded that a discussion of its merits seems unnecessary. The 
principal needs the assistance of department heads in following the 
classroom instruction and in directing the work of the classroom 
teachers toward definite and proper objectives. Such an organization 
is important and essential from the instructional point of view. It 
is equally vital as a factor in general school administration. The 
spirit and morale in any organization have much to do with the char- 
acter of work done or with the product. The aims and ideals of the 
high school principal as to the function of the school best reach the 
high school Ijody when reinforced by strong sympathetic department 
heads. Moreover the needs of the individual pupils, which are too 
often given little or no attention by the teaching stafl^, can be followed 
up and helpful advice insured only through department heads who 
are given this responsibility. In the Niagara Falls high school there 
is too great a gap between the school administration and the individual 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 43 

members of the student body. A departmental organization, or some- 
thing similar, would oftentimes simplify administrative problems 
from the standpoint of the school executive ; it would also enable the 
school to meet far better the needs of the individual pupils in the 
classroom. The principal states that in some cases he recognizes 
seniority or ability in considering some one as chairman of a depart- 
ment. This can not meet the situation. It is believed that the high 
school administration would be greatly strengthened through formal 
designation of departmental headships. 

The high school committee of the board of education may grant the 
use of the assembly room and lecture room for such purposes as seem 
beneficial to the educational and moral interests of the community, 
to which admission may be charged. All sums received from such 
use of these rooms and from the tuition of nonresident pupils are 
placed in the school decoration fund and used in the purchase of pic- 
tures, statues, busts, physical and other ai)paratus as authorized by 
the board. 

The high school literary and athletic activities seem to be subject 
to the special supervision of the high school committee of the board. 
The rules of the board place the general control of such associations 
under the general supervisory control of this committee. There 
would seem to be no reason why the board should assume any respon- 
sibility for such administrative direction. A committee has not the 
time to give to such matters, neither would any individual member 
attempt to perform such duties that belong without Cjuestion to the 
principal of the high school, subject to the general control of the 
superintendent of schools. The board may well make regulations 
governing these as well as other school activities ; supervision and 
administration, however, should be left with their executive repre- 
sentatives. 

With the reorganization of the educational program for the higher 
grades now under way and the introduction of the intermediate or 
junior high school plan there will Ije brought about a much closer 
articulation between the upper grades and the high school than now 
obtains. The present high school courses do not reflect as one would 
expect the industrial interests of the city. These larger technical 
needs are appreciated, however, by the members of the board and 
superintendent. With this larger program for the secondary work- 
clearly in mind, the development of a broader plan for administrative 
and supervisory control in the high school becomes imperative. 



44 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Summary 

The supervisory staff under the direction of the superintendent 
includes a director of primary grades, a director of extension work, 
six supervisors of special subjects and thirteen special teachers work- 
ing under the direction of the supervisors. There is one high school 
principal and thirteen elementary school principals. 

There is strong supervisory control through the office of the super- 
intendent of schools. There is at the same time a cooperation of 
effort on the part of the teaching staff which is evident in all prob- 
lems that arise in connection with the details of classroom work. The 
supervisory leadership is more marked on the part of the directors 
and special supervisors than on the part of the elementary school 
principals. In so far as professional growth is indicated by special 
work during summer sessions and in graduate schools, the elementary 
school principals have not carried on professional work to the extent 
that this has been done by the teaching staff. 

The cooperation between the teaching staff and the supervisory 
force is observed in the work of several committees now under way 
having to do with the reorganization of the elementary course of 
instruction. Much of this work is being done by groups of teachers 
selected from the various schools and indicates a very helpful atmos- 
phere throughout the school organization. It is significant to note 
that the teaching staff' through conferences and group meetings takes 
an active part in organizing and planning, with the cooperation of 
the superintendent of schools, the instructional work of the classroom. 

As is frequently observed in other cities, many of the elementary 
principals spend altogether too much time in routine clerical work. 
It may be due partially to failure to appreciate the large function of 
the school principal. It may l)e due again to lack of professional 
ability. Every effort should be made, however, to see that clerical 
work is reduced to the minimum and that work essentially clerical 
in character should be performed by clerks employed for the purpose. 

There is evidence of unified direction of the fundamental subjects 
in the primary grades where the work is under the general direction 
of the primary supervisor. It is quite possible that a similar type of 
helpful and constructive supervision in the higher grades in addition 
to the general direction now given by the superintendent of schools 
would be a wise administrative procedure. It is to be noted further 
that the general problems in these grades will be closely articulated 
with the development of the intermediate school which is already 
under way and may be largely solved by tliis reorganization. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 45 

The flexible character of the treatment of the course of study by 
the supervisory staff is illustrated in the drawing work. Group meet- 
ings are held frequently by the drawing supervisor and typed out- 
lines are given to the teachers at least every two months. This 
method makes it possible to revise the material from time to time 
and to modify the work as occasion demands. Every effort is also 
made to articulate the drawing work with related subjects in the 
course of study. 

The supervisor of domestic science, as is true of several other 
supervisors, unfortunately, is compelled to spend a considerable por- 
tion of time in classroom teaching. The supervisor of domestic 
science spends one-half of a day of each week in actual supervision ; 
the remainder of the time is spent in teaching in the high school. 
The work to be followed is outlined by the supervisor in cooperation 
with the special teachers. Monthly meetings are held for discussion 
and the outlining of plans. It is noted that the work in domestic 
science is organized as a unit throughout the grades and high school. 
As the work develops it will be necessary to release the supervisor 
from much of the teaching that is now done in order that more time 
may be given for supervision throughout the school system. 

The supervisor of music and the supervisor of penmanship are 
responsible for the work in the elementary field. There is not in 
these subjects the articulation between the elementary and high school 
work that is observed in several other phases of the work. 

The supervisor of industrial arts, like the supervisors of drawing 
and domestic science, has given considerable time to actual teaching 
in the high school and in the grades. This work, however, is develop- 
ing rapidly. Every effort is being made to articulate the industrial 
work in the schools with the community activities. A large program 
is under way in connection with the development of the school plant 
which will provide for the industrial work through proper facilities 
in the elementary, intermediate and secondary fields. The limita- 
tions that have been placed on this work in the high school, because 
of limited space, will be relieved when larger provision has been 
made for the shop work and courses have been broadened to meet 
the demands which are already under consideration by the local school 
authorities. 

The extension work in Niagara Falls is unique. It is broad in 
its organization, including the evening schools, Americanization in 
school, home and factory, extension lectures, and other work of this 
general character. The city has wisely planned the organization of 
the extension work as a part of the educational program carried out 



46 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

by the board of education under the supervision of the superintendent 
of schools, for which regular provision is made in the annual budget. 
This work is far-reaching in its influence and has reached in evening 
schools and in adult classes over 1800 people. Those in charge of 
this work have kept constantly in mind the importance of keeping 
the work in close touch with community needs. Other cities might 
well note the progress that Niagara Falls has made in this special 
field. 

The supervision of the high school is under the immediate direction 
of the high school principal who is assisted by a vice principal, a 
woman who acts as a supervisor of scholarship and attendance records 
and also as a supervisor of girls. Although the high school has a 
registration of approximately 1000 pupils and a teaching staff of 40, 
there are no heads of departments. The school suffers because of 
this lack. The principal would be greatly assisted by department 
heads in following the classroom instruction and in directing the 
M^ork of the classroom teachers toward definite and proper objectives. 
In other words, in the Niagara Falls High School there is too great 
a gap between the school administration and the individual members 
of the student body. A departmental organization, or something 
similar, as may best be worked out, would possibly simplify admin- 
istrative problems and would also enable the school to meet far better 
the needs of the individual pupils in the classroom. The larger tech- 
nical needs which the high school should meet are appreciated by the 
local school authorities. When this larger program for the secondary 
work is clearly in mind, the development of a broader plan for 
administrative and supervisory control in the high school will become 
imperative. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 47 



TEACHING STAFF 

The present teaching staff in the city of Niagara Falls consists of 
270 teachers, supervisors and principals. Of this number, 214 are 
in the elementary schools and 43 are in the high school, in addition 
to which are the vocational teachers, special teachers and supervisors. 

Elementary School Teachers 

There has been shown unusual care in the selection of teachers. 
Compared with many cities, the staff shows a high percentage of pro- 
fessionally trained teachers. It is true that there are many teachers 
who hold local certificates and who have had no professional train- 
ing. But this is not true of those teachers more recently taken into 
the school organization. The rules of the board of education which 
have l)een in effect several years provide as follows : 

" No teacher shall be employed in this city who is not a graduate 
of a college or state normal school, and who does not hold a valid 
teachers certificate. Temj^orary substitutes are excepted when teach- 
ers with above-described qualifications are not available. 

" No new high school teacher shall be employed unless such teacher 
shall have had at least one year's successful experience in teaching 
in a secondary school, or an institution of equal or higher rank, and 
is a graduate of an apj^roved course in a regularly established college 
or an institution of equal or higher rank. 

" For the year beginning September 1915, and thereafter, no new 
teacher shall be employed in the grades unless such teacher shall have 
had at least one year's successful experience in teaching. This re- 
quirement may be waived in case of graduates of Niagara Falls High 
School having necessary qualifications." 

Of the 176 elementary school teachers who filled out questionnaires 
relative to their training and experience, 153 or 87 per cent have had 
at least one year of professional training beyond the high school. 
There are 124 who have had normal school training, and 7 with 
college training, or 74 per cent who have had at least two years of 
professional training. In addition to those who have had training 
class, normal school, or college training, many have taken advantage 
of the opportunity for professional training at summer sessions. Of 
the teachers of this group, 108 have taken work at one or more sum- 



48 



THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



mer schools. This is indicative of a good professional spirit on the 
part of the teaching staff. This interest in professional improvement 
is more apparent among the younger teachers than among those who 
have heen longer in the service. 



NUMBER OF TEACHERS 



c 


\ I 


V € 


> g 


; 1 


1 


^ 14 


— 






— 




Z!~ 




























"^^" 




























































































































— 









57 

56 

55 

53 

52 

51 

50 

48 

47 

46 

45 

44 

43 

42 

40 

39 

38 

37 

36 

35 

34 

33 

32 

31 

30 

29 

28 

27 

26 

25 

24 

23 

22 

21 

20 



Chart 1 — Showing the teacher distribution according to age 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 49 

Age 

The range in the ages of the teachers in the elementary grades is 
from 20 years to 57 years. Of the 176 teachers, one-half are between 
20 and 31 years of age. The first quartile is 25 years, the median 31 
years, and the third quartile 37 years. Chart 1 shows the age distri- 
bution of all elementary teachers. 

The teaching staff in the elementary schools is apparently youthful 
or in the best years of life. Practically none are in advanced years. 

Experience 

Complete data were not given for all teachers of the group cover- 
ing their teaching experience. Of the 176 teachers, 15 failed to give 
this item. The information is available therefore for only 161 ele- 
mentary school teachers. Of this number, 85 or more than one-half 
have had a total teaching experience of not to exceed 8 years. 

The first quartile is at five years. As a matter of fact, 61 teachers, 
or over 33 ys per cent, have had not to exceed 5 years' experience in 
teaching. The median is 8 years and the third quartile is 14 years. 
How apparent it is that few teachers reach maturity in the service. 

Salaries 

In June 1919 the salaries of 175 elementary teachers and princi- 
pals ranged from $550 to $2000. The median salary for the group 
was $825. Forty-seven teachers, or over 25 per cent, received $700 
or less. Fifteen teachers were receiving $650; eleven teachers $600, 
and four teachers $550. Notwithstanding the fact that the groups at 
$950, 25 teachers, and $1000, 24 teachers, were reasonably large, 
only 13 teachers were receiving in excess of $1000; eight of these 
w^ere receiving $1300. Those at this end of the scale are principals. 
It should be observed in this connection that the schedule was in pro- 
cess of readjustment and the steps under consideration should be 
noted. 

The salaries received by the teachers reflect the 1916 schedule 
which was as follows for kindergarten, primary and grade teachers: 

Hlniinifary Schedule. 1916 

First year $500 

Second year 550 

Third year 600 

Fourth year • 650 

Fifth year 700 

Sixth year 700 

Seventh year 725 

Eighth year 750 

Ninth year 775 

Tenth year 800 



50 



THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



This schedule, with an initial salary of $500 and 10 years' service 
'necessary to reach a maximum only $300 above the minimum, ex- 
plains the median salary of $825 in June 1919. 



E-XPERIENCF 






NUMBER OF TEACHKRS 










35 


, 


7 


\r i 


? 1 


3 1 


) 


2 t 


4 1 


6 3 


32 


33 


Hi 




















29 


■■■■ 




















as 


^ 




















n 


^ 




















26 
25 


_^^__ 




















i. 






24 
Z3 
22 


— 




















■■^ 


^ 


















^^■■■1 


HP 


















20 






BHHH 


HH 


19 







18 


^^^ 


^ 




17 
16 
15 
14 
13 
1Z 







- 
























- 










■MM 






"" 


11 
10 


■^H 










"""" 






% 

7 




I^HH 


^^^ 




1^ 






6 
5 


^^^ 






^^ 










A 
3 
2 

1 






























— 













Chart 2 — Showing the distribution of teachers according to 
years teaching experience 



the number of 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 51 

In March 1919 the board of education after giving the question 
careful study adopted the following schedule for elementary teachers 
for the school year 1919-20: 



First year 

Second year 900 

Third year 1000 

Fourth year 1 100 

This schedule, however, was not put into eflfect on account of pend- 
ing statewide legislation and the action was rescinded until the pro- 
visions of the statute were determined. As a result of the legislative 
action the board of education in 1919 adopted the following schedule 
for the year 1919-20: 

Salary Schedule, 1919-20 

First year $800 

Second year 900 

Third year 1000 

Fourth year 1 100 

Fifth year 1200 

Sixth year 1300 

Seventh year 1400 

Eighth year 1500 

Ninth year 1600 

Additional increment for superior work. 

Following the passage of the Lockwood-Donohue bill by the Legis- 
lature of 1920 the board of education in Niagara Falls did not imme- 
diately adopt the new schedule but modified the schedule for the 
elementary teachers given immediately above by adding $300 to the 
salary of each teacher. This resulted in the following new schedule 
for the year 1920-21 : 

Salary Schedule, 1920-21 

First year $1100 

Second year 1200 

Third year 1300 

Fourth year 1400 

Fifth year 1500 

Sixth, year 1600 

Seventh year 1700 

Eighth year '. 1800 

Ninth year 1900 

It is of interest to note that on the adoption of this schedule for the 
year 1920-21 it was further provided that all teachers of 10 years' 
experience, 3 of which had been in Niagara Falls, were to receive 



52 



TPIE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



Special^ 




Figure 1 — Professional training of high school teachers 




Colleoe^ 
Graduates 



Figure 2 — Professional training of elementary school teachers 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 53 

the maximum. Teachers not meeting the maximum requirement 
were given fewer increments according to experience. On account 
of this provision, 76 elementary teachers were advanced to the salary 
of $1900 for the school year 1920-21. 

It may be observed that in June 1919, the salaries of all elementary 
school teachers, including principals, varied from $550 to $2000, 
the median salary for the group being $825. In October 1920, the 
salaries paid elementary school teachers and principals varied from 
$1100 to $3100, the median for the group being $1700. In case of 
the elementary school teachers, as is noted later in regard to the high 
school teachers, the median salary had more than doubled within a 
period of 16 months. This is indicative of the splendid spirit that 
has been shown by the local school authorities in providing more 
adequate salary schedules for all classes of the teaching service. 

A comparison of the successive salary schedules which have been 
adopted by the board of education in Niagara Falls during the past 
few years indicates very clearly the splendid effort that has been 
made by the local school authorities in providing very properly for 
increased compensation on the part of the teaching staff in the ele- 
mentary schools. The minimum salary paid a teacher in the elemen- 
tary schools during the school year 1920-21 is $300 above the maxi- 
mum salary of $800, and $600 above the minimum salary of the 
schedule in effect in 1916. 

It may further be noted that the maximum salary of the schedule 
of 1916 became the minimum salary of the schedule for the school 
year 1919-20, that the maximum salary of the schedule adopted in 
March 1919, although this was modified later during the same year, 
is the minimum salary for the school year 1920-21. 

Another advance step taken by the board of education in Niagara 
Falls in connection with the salary schedule of the elementary school 
teachers provided for granting of full credit for previous experience 
so that during the school year 1920-21 many teachers went immedi- 
ately to the maximum amount available on the schedule. These salary 
schedules for Niagara Falls are of interest not only because of their 
local application but also on account of the illustration which they 
provide of the very definite results of recent statewide salary legis- 
lation. A city with a salary schedule such as that of Niagara Falls 
is in a position to command in its teaching service those who meet 
the very best professional requirements. 



54 TIIK UNIVI'.KSITY Ol' TllIC SrATIC Ol" NIOVV YORK 

High School Teachers 

( )l tlir .^S lii^h sclinol tcaclicis wlio siihmiltcd records of trainiiij^' 
and experience, 18 are collei^e j^raduates, 18 are normal school j^radu- 
atcs or liave completed some s])ecial professional course covering at 
least two years. Of the remaining two, one received her training in 
\arious institutions in l'"rance e(|uivalent to collei'e training and the 
t)ther has had no training of a professional character. 

'I'here is' apparently an appreciation on the part of the secondary 
school teachers of the need of contiiuied professional training. Of 
the high school teaching staff, 23 have taken one or more smnmers' 
work in colleges or other teacher-training institutions. 'Twelve of 
ihc normal school graduates and 1 1 of the college-trained teachers 
have had either graduate work or courses at summer sessions. The 
following work is noted: one has the master's degree; two have one 
year of college work in adchtion to the two-year professional cour.se; 
one has taken a full college course following normal school, and has 
also done work toward a master's degree ; nine have taken one sum- 
mer's work; four, two summers' work; (hree, three summers' work; 
four, four summers' work ; .and one has continued professional study 
for eight summers. 

Proji'ssinini! TniliiiiKj 

It is apparent that the teachers in the high school show the same 
tendency to contiiiue professional training as was noted in the ele- 
nieiUary school teaching stall". Niagara Falls was one of the first 
cities to make a special provision in the salary schedule for increase 
in compensation to those who comjjlete cour.ses of study at approved 
summer schools. What elTect this may have had on the [)resent stall 
is not known, hut there is reason to heliexe that the inlluence has 
been marked. 

The salaries paid the high school teachers in June l^U*) varied 
from $850 to $1600. The median of the salary schedule paid the 
sccondarv school teachers was $1100. 

T.\1!LK 4 
Salaries paid to high school teachers 1918-1919 

A''o. teachers 
Saliiry rccciviiu] 

$850 2 

WO 2 

^50 1 

975 1 

1000 7 

1025 1 

1050 4 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 55 



Salary 
M $1100 


Table 4 {concluded) 


No. teachers 
receiving 
2 


1150 




2 


1200 




6 


1300 




6 


1400 




1 


1500 




2 


1600 




1 



That the salary schedule for high school teachers in Niagara Falls 
has been improved greatly during the past few years may be noted 
from the changes made by the board of education. In 1916 the 
salaries for high school positions were fixed at a minimum of $800 
and a maximum for the ninth year and thereafter of $1000. 

Salary Schedule, 1916 

First year $800 

Second year 825 

Third year 850 

Fourth year 875 

Fifth year 900 

Sixth year 925 

Seventh year 950 

Eighth year 975 

Ninth year and thereafter 1000 

An annual increment of $25 seems almost incredible. And yet 
hundreds of cities even more recently than 1916 have adopted sched- 
ules less satisfactory than the above. The amount was not sufficient 
to command the necessary service, and in March 1919 the schedule 
was revised. 

Salary Schedule, 1919 

Women Men 

First year $1000 $1400 

Second year 1 100 1500 

Third year 1200 1600 

Fourth year 1300 

Fifth year 1400 

The maximum of the old schedule became the minimum of the 
new. The annual increment, which had been $25, became under the 
new schedule $100. 

Further revision in the salary schedule for the high school teachers 
was made following the salary legislation of 1920. The minimum 
salary for women teachers in the high school was made $1300 with 



56 THK UNIVKRSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

an annual increment of $100, the maximum being $2100. 'ilie mini- 
mum salary for men became $1500 with a maximum of $2300. 

Salary Schrdulr. l<)I9-20 

IVniiirn Mm 

First year $1.W0 $1500 

Second year 1400 1600 

Tliird year 1500 1700 

I^oiirth year 1600 1800 

I'iftii year 1700 1900 

Sixth year 1800 2000 

Seventh year 1900 2100 

]<:iglith year 2000 2200 

Ninth year 2100 2300 

The same provision was made relative to the allowance for exjieri- 
ence as was done in the case of the elementary school teachers. 
Teachers who had at least 10 years' ex])eriencc, 3 years of which 
were in Niagara I'alls, would receive the maxiiuum salary. As a 
result, 17 high school teachers during the year 1920-21 were advanced 
to a salary of $2100. 

An analysis of the successive salary schedules in the high school 
tluring the past few years shows the rapid increase that has been 
made in the salaries paid to the secondary school teachers. In June 
1910, the salaries paid the high school teachers varied from $850 to 
$1600 with a median salary of $1100. In October 1920. under the 
schedule adopted for the year 1920-21, the salaries paid high school 
teachers other than the principal and vice principal varied from $1300 
to $2300, the median salary being $2100. In other words, the median 
salary paid high school teachers in Niagara b\alls had more than 
doubled within the ])eriod of 16 months. 

Tenure of Teaching Service 

Mention has already been made of the teaching experience of those 
employed in both elementary and secondary schools in Niagara Falls. 
It may be of further interest to note the facts with regard to the 
tenure of the teachers in the city school system as of October 1920. 
This information covers 263 teachers employed at that time. Of this 
number, 55 teachers were serving their first year in Niagara Falls, 
^0 were serving their .second year, 25 their third year, and 21 their 
fourth year in the local city school system. In other words, 141 
teachers out of 263, or more than one-half of the teachers in service, 
had been teaching less than four years in the local school system. 

One teacher has been employed since 1888, three teachers since 
1889, five teachers since 1891 and from that date to the present the 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 57 

teachers have entered the service every year with the exception of 
two. It is to be observed, however, that more than one-half of the 
teachers have entered upon their service in Niagara Falls since 1917. 
The excellent salary schedules that have been recently adopted should 
prove an effective factor in lengthening the teaching tenure and the 
average experience of the entire teaching staff in both elementary 
and secondary schools in Niagara Falls. 

Summary 

The teaching staff in Niagara Falls has been selected with unusual 
care. Compared with many cities, the staff shows a high percentage 
of professionally trained teachers. Approximately less than 25 per 
cent of the teaching staff' are local teachers. 

Teachers now entering the service in the elementary schools must 
show the completion of a state normal school course or two years of 
professional training beyond graduation from a four-year high school 
course. High school teachers must be graduates of an approved four- 
year college course and have had at least one year's successful ex- 
perience in teaching. Approximately 75 per cent of the present 
teaching staff have had at least two years of professional training 
beyond high school. 

The median age of the elementary teachers is 31 years. More 
than one-half of the teachers have had a teaching experience not 
exceeding 8 years. 

The salary schedule for both elementary and secondary school 
teachers has been very considerably increased during the past two 
years. The median salary of the elementary teachers in 1919 was 
$825. In 1920 the median salary for the group was $1700. The 
median salary in the high school in June 1919 was $1100. The median 
salary for the high school group in October 1920 was $2100. This 
indicates the spirit that has been shown by the local school authorities 
in providing more adequate salaries for all classes of the teaching 
service. 

A large percentage of both elementary and secondary school teach- 
ers have taken every advantage of opportunities for continuing pro- 
fessional training at summer sessions in colleges and universities. 
The recognition which Niagara Falls has given for many years to 
those who complete professional courses of study at summer sessions 
has undoubtedly had a marked influence on the teaching service. 

More than half of the teachers in service in June 1919 in the 
Niagara Falls schools have been teaching less than four years in the 
local system. The recent increases in the salary schedules should 
prove effective in lengthening the tenure of the teaching staff. 



THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



ELEMENTARY COURSE OF STUDY AND INSTRUCTION 

The course of study that is offered in the elementary grades in 
the schools of Niagara Falls includes all the so-called common 
branches — reading, writing, spelling, language, arithmetic, geography 
and history. Special subjects including drawing, music and physical 
training are given throughout all grades under the direction of special 
supervisors. Beginning with the fourth grades, courses in industrial 
arts are given to the boys and sewing and domestic science courses 
are given to the girls. This is one of the features of the work in the 
elementary grades. 

In the earlier discussion of the program of supervision somewhat 
general outlines have been presented covering the plans followed in 
the elementary school work. In the present chapter there is pre- 
sented a series of summary reports made after careful classroom 
observations of the elementary school work. 

Table 5 

The different subjects in the elementary school course of study in Niagara 

Falls, and the grades in which each subject is taught 
Subject Grades 

12 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Reading X X X X X X X X 

Writing X X X X X X X X 

Spelling X X X X X X X X 

Language X X X X X X X X 

Arithmetic X X X X X X X X 

Geography X X X X X 

History X X X X 

Drawing X X X X X X X X 

Music X X X X X X X X 

Nature study In drawing and oral and written composition 

Hygiene X X X X X X X X 

Physical training X X X X X X X X 

Industrial arts X X X X X 

Sewing X X X X X 

Domestic science XX 

Reading 

The information on which this report of the work in reading in 
the public schools of Niagara Falls is based was obtained through 
observations made in the various grades of several schools, through 
interviews with the principals and through a conference with the 




ELECTRICAL SHOP SHOWING HOW PRACTICAL PROJECTS ARE CARRIED OUT 




WOODWORKING AND PRINTING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 59 

supervisor of primary grades. Except in a few instances in schools 
in which there were dupHcate grades, observations were made in 
essentially all classes. The schools in which such observations were 
made were Fifth Street School, Cleveland Avenue School, Tenth 
Street School, Twenty-fourth Street School, Thirteenth Street School, 
Twenty-second Street School, Third Street School. 

W^hile there was no effort to make a complete study in all schools 
throughout the system, it is thought that the schools selected were 
fairly typical and that conclusions that might be reached by observa- 
tions in all the schools would not differ materially from those re- 
corded in this report. 

The facts and impressions herein presented will be recorded under 
the following topics : Reading in grades 1 to 3, Reading in grades 
4 to 6, Re^.ding in grades 7 and 8. 

Through the activities of a supervisor of primary grades much 
progress has been made in the discussion and formulation of the 
motives and methods regarded by recent authorities as most promis- 
ing" in the achievement of desired results. The supervisor has made 
a detailed study of the manner in which the teaching of reading is 
motivated and worked out in classroom practice in the public schools 
of the city of Rochester. In the detailed outlines that she has devel- 
oped for the guidance of teachers in the primary grades, she freely 
acknowledges her indebtedness to the plans represented in the Roches- 
ter system. It may be remarked in this connection that the city 
superintendent, the principals and the teachers of Rochester have 
gone afield in a study of the theory and art of teaching reading, seek- 
ing to present the aims most desirable for this work in the various 
grades, the best m.aterials and the procedures that have their founda- 
tion in correct child psychology and in the principles of sound peda- 
gogy. For the purposes of this survey the extent to which the 
reader would give assent to details in the methods and procedure 
advocated in recent essays and reports on reading prepared by the 
Rochester school people is not of moment. The point to be noted 
is that the supervisor and the primary teachers of Niagara Falls are 
working on these proljlems intelligently and earnestly, and are taking 
advantage of the best methods and devices that have been worked out 
in other school systems. 

From a weekly schedule of time allotments to various fields of 
study in the grade schools of Niagara Falls it appears that a reason- 
able time allotment is given to reading. This schedule indicates 
that 475 minutes weekly are devoted to reading in the first grade. 
450 minutes in the second grade and 400 minutes in the third grade. 



60 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Otherwise stated, tliis means that there is an allotment of 95 minutes 
daily to reading in the first grade, 90 minutes in the second grade, 
and 80 minutes in the third grade. The periods allotted to phonics 
and word drill and to direct exercises in reading, are kept distinct. 
By this procedure the teacher is able to focus the attention of the 
children on acquiring proper knowledge of sounds and blends and 
to the mastery of the new words which they will meet later in the 
reading lesson of the day. The children's minds are free to act with- 
out interruption in the direction of thought-getting and thought- 
giving during the period in which sentences and brief paragraphs 
are read. There is no exact uniformity in the relative amount of 
time utilized in the various grades of the primary schools in the two 
classes of activities mentioned. In general the distribution is approxi- 
mately on a fifty-fifty basis. In a few schedules that were exam- 
ined, three distinct periods for reading were noted, namely, one for 
phonics, one for word drill and one for reading from blackboard or 
book. The difference indicated is one of detail. Emphasis is placed 
on the fact that mechanics in accjuiring the reading art is a thing 
distinct from reading itself. 

In the outworking of the new and formative methods in reading 
that are now finding expression in the primary schools of Niagara 
Falls, the distinct impression was obtained that the teachers are re- 
sponding intelligently and heartily to the new plans. While the out- 
lines presented by the supervisor are stimulating in variety and in 
suggestiveness, it was noted with satisfaction that teachers are devel- 
oping new and interesting devices to vary their vv^ork. A commend- 
able feature of instruction, particularly in grades 1 and 2, was noted 
in the emphasis placed on the development of skill in visualizing word 
groups, brief phrases consisting of closely related words and short 
sentences. Such groups were often indicated on the blackboard by 
a sweeping stroke of the crayon indicating the words inclusively, _or 
by holding before the class perception cards on which were printed 
the phrases or sentences whose quick visualization was required. 

From the observations made it was not apparent that dramatization 
has as yet found its best expression in the classroom practice of these 
schools. Something in this direction has been undertaken by a num- 
ber of teachers, but it may be described as only a beginning. Thus 
far in the procedures of the primary classroom this instrument for 
obtaining the material and wide-awake expression of thought among 
little people does not appear to have commanded the skill and atten- 
tion that its value deserves. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 61 

The standard time schedule which has been worked out by super- 
intendent and teacher shows an allotment of 40 minutes daily to read- 
ing in the fourth grade, 35 minutes daily in the fifth grade and 30 
minutes daily in the sixth grade. On the assumption that pupils have 
gained during the first three years of their school life a good mastery 
of the mechanics of reading and that they have made satisfactory 
progress in the ability to interpret thought correctly and readily from 
the printed i^age, the teachers of the intermediate grades will be free 
to give their attention to the larger development of the subject. 

New aims, new points of departure, different methods are now 
requisite. Pupils at this point in their training are entering on new 
enterprises in study. The curriculum expands, taking on new sub- 
jects. Fundamental to success in these grades will be thought-getting 
and thought-giving in their broader features. If satisfactory progress 
in study is to be made from this time on the pupils must possess or 
accjuire as quickly as possible the ability to get connected thought with 
facility from the printed page and to tell it or write it in connected 
paragraphs with fair fidelity to the story. Apart from the knowledge 
that the pupil must acquire from the textbooks that he will now 
study, there is presented to him the added problem of acquiring col- 
lateral information from various sources and of utilizing this infor- 
mation orally and in writing for the larger educative purposes of the 
classroom. Obviously then he must be brought in contact with a 
■variety of literature. Under ideal conditions the grade schools would 
be equii)ped with a wealth of material for reading, well adapted to 
the age and experiences of the pupils, of interesting and informing 
type, and having an appeal to youth that will win pupils to its spirited 
pursuit. 

In these grades there should be much silent reading for rapid 
throught-getting, and some oral reading for the purpose of securing 
correct pronunciation and pleasing expression. Work with the dic- 
tionary, in order to assure the correct understanding of words, will 
be necessary. Above all else the reading must be vitalized by inspira- 
tional teaching. There must be leadership which points the way to 
reading afield in the stories of lands and peoples. In the literature 
taken up in the classes in reading and 'in English opportunity wnll be 
afforded on every hand for the teacher to utilize every resource aris- 
ing from her wider experience and from her larger insight. Daily 
preparation, plans thoughtfully worked out in advance, having in 
mind not only the day's lesson but the goals of final achievement for 
the year, will be recjuisite to the highest success. 



62 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

It would appear that there is not a clear definition of the aims that 
should characterize the teacher's work in these grades, and there is 
insufficient store of materials on which teachers and pupils may draw 
in the advancing demands of their work. In the absence of definitely 
formulated standards of procedure and of supervising leadership, 
the reading in each grade room is largely what the individual teacher 
makes it. Naturally there is considerable work of the routine type 
that may be described as " hearing the lesson." In a few instances 
skilful attention to silent reading, followed by oral work in connected 
paragraphs, was observed. In essentially all grades of this group 
there is much attention to the pronunciation and the meaning of new 
words. On the whole, judged by common standards, the pupils in 
the various grades read aloud in a manner creditable to their degree 
of advancement in school. Relatively speaking, the slow pupils in 
the reading classes — those who show distinct weakness in ability to 
get the thought in a sentence or a paragraph, and to express it with 
reasonable fluency from the printed page — are few in number. Any 
criticism expressed or implied in this discussion points in the direc- 
tion of a better understanding of ideals of instruction in these grades 
and a more purposeful and well-directed procedure in the outworking 
of these ideals. 

The amount of time allotted to reading in the seventh and eighth 
grades is 100 minutes weekly. This allotment does not include a 
considerable amount of time that is devoted to reading in connection 
with the study of English in these grades. In the reading classes 
proper the selections used are of a high type such as are found in 
the more advanced literary readers. Among the selections taken up 
when the classes were visited were Hawthorne's " Great Stone 
Face,' " The Siege of the Castle," from Ivanhoe, and some passages 
from Irving's " Knickerbocker History of Nev/ York." A few 
poems were also used, such as Longfellow's " Chambered Nautilus," 
Toaquim Miller's " Columbia " and the war poem, " On Flanders 
Field." It will be noted that variety and standard literary quality 
characterized the various selections. 

In conducting recitations teachers often asked pupils to step to the 
front, reading aloud a page or more each. Exercises in retelling 
the story or the incidents read were common. There was also some 
discussion of personages and incidents but comparatively little that 
was suggestive of " problem work." In one or two instances pupils 
had been expected to read silently the selection before coming to 
class, and in such cases the day's lesson was begun by a detailed oral 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 63 

recall of the story by different pupils. There was also considerable 
attention given to the pronunciation and meaning of new words. 
In most classes the attention given to the pupil's position in standing 
to read and to matters of expression, were commendable. 

The study of the pedagogics of reading in the seventh and eighth 
grades has not had the attention from teachers and principals that 
it has received in the lower grades. This is to be expected as pupils 
are supposed to become fair masters of the mechanics and of the art 
of reading in grades below the seventh. Whatever they do with 
reading thereafter is often supposed to be for the purpose of getting 
and giving information or for the purpose of interpreting orally the 
thought of a given selection. A considerable fault may lie in the 
fact that definite goals of achievement have seldom been marked out 
for the teacher's guidance. The general use of oral and silent read- 
ing tests would be very helpful in fixing reasonable standards ; in 
fact this work is already under way, following up the preliminary 
tests given in connection with the survey. 

If pupils are to be expected to read poems in a natural and pleasing 
way, all tendencies to " sing-song," to exaggerated cadence, must be 
checked up rigorously in the earlier grades. No stronger single 
factor in the direction of such objectionable habits in reading poetry 
can be found than the procedure whereby pupils are drilled on 
" memory gems " in concert recitation. The habit of reading poems 
in this manner is all too common. The boy's reprehensible manner 
of reading Joaquim Miller's " Columbia " or the poem " On Flanders 
Field " in the eighth grade class, is simply the sequence of a habit 
in monotones that he acquired in his earlier years in school. 

From the observations on reading in the elementary grades it is 
noted that the work points in the direction of a better understanding 
of desirable goals of achievement. The plans and methods under 
way promise the best results in working toward such goals. 

Elementary English 

It is evident that the elementary teachers in Niagara Falls are 
rapidly catching the spirit that should permeate the teaching of 
English today. This conclusion is' based upon observations made 
in the classrooms and upon conferences held with all the elementary 
school teachers in the city. The work of 72 different teachers was 
observed. Each teacher's class was visited once; many were visited 
twice. It is apparent that the attitude of many of the teachers 
toward the work in English is broad and of the right sort. 



64 



THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



Tune Schedule 
In the accompanying table is presented the per cent of time given 
daily to recitations in English, and the number of pupils in each 
grade in seven elementary schools. 

Table 6 

Per cent of daily recitation schedule given to English in the elementary 

schools 



_2 O j; J2 



3_^ _2 oj: ^ 



GRADE 


S'^ 


p. 


c — 


'p. 


c — 


c 


c;S 


'5, 


t^JS 


'E 


c — 


o. 


c — 


o. 






V bo 


3 


V M 


3 


V bo 


3 


pTc 




C be 




<Lt bfl 


3 


<v ao 


9 






" a 


c. 




c 


u C 


C 




a 




C. 


" C 


Q 




a 






uUi 


6 


4> 


d 


1- W 


6 


fc^ 


d 




d 


feW 


d 




d 






^ 


IS 


Pi 


PZ 


^ 


^ 


Oh 


^ 


P-, 


2; 


^ 


Z; 


Ph 


a 


1 




11.8 
11.1 
10.0 
13.3 
13.3 
13.3 
9.6 


42 
43 
44 
40 
42 
43 
27 


8.0 
7.8 
10.0 
13.3 
13.3 
19.3 
9.6 


46 

42 

42 

43 
34 


11.7 
11.1 
10.0 
13.3 
13.3 
13.3 


40 
37 
39 
39 
37 
34 


11.7 
11.1 
10.0 
13.3 
13.3 
13.3 


48 
39 
36 
39 
28 
27 


11.7 
11.1 
10.1 
13.5 
13.5 
13.5 
13.5 


44 
36 
38 
40 
40 
41 
31 


11.7 
7.4 
16.6 
16.6 
16.6 
16.6 
16.6 


41 
47 
40 
36 
42 
39 
35 


11.7 
11.1 
10.0 
13.3 
13.3 
13.3 
13.3 


40 


2 




47 


3 




40 


4 




45 


5 




44 


6 




38 


7 


.A. 


35 




B. 


9.6 


27 


5.8 


33 
























C. 


9.6 


26 


14. S 


27 
























D. 


9.6 


27 


6.4 


34 
























E. 


9.6 


28 


12.2 


34 
























F. 


9.6 


27 


























8 


.A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
E. 
F. 


9.6 
9.6 
9.6 
9.6 
9.6 
9.6 


29 
28 
31 
28 
29 
24 


25.0 
19.3 
20.9 
20.9 
20.9 
19.3 


29 
30 
34 
33 
36 
31 























The fact that the seventh and eighth grade work is largely centered 
in schools A and B appears to offer a natural differentiation between 
the work of the first six grades and that of the seventh and eighth. 
This distinction had a marked effect upon the character of the Eng- 
lish work being done by each group of teachers. There was an evi- 
dent advance in the nature of the work in the seventh and eighth 
grades over that in the first six grades. In each school the work in 
the first six grades is in the hands of the grade teacher. In school 
B it is also so arranged in the seventh and eighth grades. In school A", 
h-owever, English is taught on a departmental basis in the seventh 
and eighth grades. 

The per cent of time given to elementary English in ten American 
cities tabulated in 1905 by B. R. Payne in his study of elementary 
education in the United States, France, England and Germany varied 
from 10.3 to 30.9 per cent. The average time was 14.4 per cent. 
The average number of minutes a week given to elementary English 
in each grade in these cities was as follows : 

Grade 

No. of minutes 



1 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


130 


146 


144 


158 


176 


224 


254 


256 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 65 

School A gives 10.4 per cent of each school day to instruction in 
English while school B gives 14.5 per cent to such instruction. Some 
factors to be taken into consideration in determining the time daily 
to be devoted to English are the size of the class, the grade, the speech 
ability of the pupils, their mentality, and their nationality. These 
or other important factors in time assignments are often not con- 
sidered in determining grade schedules. 

The time schedule in school A provides for an English recitation 
in grades 7 and 8 of 30 minutes, but another 30 minutes is to be 
devoted to study in preparation of the work for the following reci- 
tation. This period of study is not supervised by the teacher of 
English. It is not clear therefore that it should be considered as part 
of the time given to English in these grades. Where a period of 60 
minutes is divided into two parts, it should be provided that the period 
of preparation be spent in a room where the pupils are under the 
immediate direction of the subject teacher. Where that is done, much 
good may be looked for. Where that is not done, the results are apt 
to be indifferent. An excellent plan is to lengthen the recitation 
period to 45 or even to 60 minutes and provide that a part of the 
time be given to directed study under the guidance of the class 
teacher. 

In some instances the narrowness of the instruction was marked. 
Much of the time was given to the use of words, to analysis, or to 
some other phase of instruction equally restricted. There was little 
use of variety to arouse interest. Interest was often lacking with 
the result that the recitation was lifeless. It was noted that when 
definitions were called for, frequently an application was made, often 
it was not. Drill in such matters proves effective. The force of a 
definition is invariably lost when children are not allowed to apply 
the definition in a practical way. When this was done the diagrams 
were for the most part neatly made and accurate. The use of the 
diagram, however, as a method of analysis is not to be encouraged. 
At best it is but a crutch upon which pupils are inclined to lean to 
the detriment of their ability to make a mental analysis. As an 
illustration its use is not to be condemned ; as a system its use is to 
be avoided. 

In general most pupils in Niagara Falls seem to have gained the 
ability to write letters suited to their grade and age. In the upper 
years of one school, pupils were found to be carrying on an actual 
correspondence with other pupils in distant parts of the country. 
Here was real motivation with an added element of interest and 
results commensurate with both. It is to be reoretted that more work 



66 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

of a similar nature was not being done in other schools. There is 
an inclination on the part of some teachers to give their pupils very 
little time to think. This inclination is so marked at times as to be 
very noticeable. It would be worth while for teachers to encourage 
pupils to cultivate the habit of thinking in English recitations even 
in the elementary schools. 

Considerable time seemed to be given to picture study. Some of 
the recitations in this type of work seemed to have been prepared 
beforehand and to have the character of review work. Little oppor- 
tunitv was thus given to observe how the study of pictures was 
undertaken and what aim the teacher put before her pupils. The 
monotonous manner, in measured rhythm, in which the majority of 
the pupils recited was evidence that the practical value for the pupils 
was limited. Stories of " Jack and Jill " and " The Three Bears " 
were sometimes told without the childish spirit of story-telling being 
present. There were, on the other hand, several excellent illustra- 
tions of just how the work ought to be done. Notable among these 
was the story of " Cinderella," told in language much the child's 
own, with good expression. Of great value to a class, composed 
mostly of foreigners, was a recitation in which these pupils applied 
to the picture descriptive words arranged in short sentences. Here 
was one of the best bits of training in distinct, correct speech met 
with anywhere in the city. It is very possible that right motivation 
was largely responsible for the interest shown by the pupils in what 
they were telling as well as for the excellent training they were 
getting in clear envniciation and accurate expression. 

Closely akin in aim to story-telling based on pictures from which 
pupils talk is the reproduction of stories read in books or told to the 
class by the teacher. Several reproductions were made in good order 
with the thought logically expressed in a delightful manner, valuable 
to children. Some of these exercises were, however, reproduced in 
the language of the book, sleepily and perfunctorily. This gave one 
the idea that the work was done as a duty, not as a pleasure. Occa- 
sionally the reproduction was made in concert by the whole class 
with little benefit to the individual child. Reproduction of stories 
told to the child, or read by him, is one of the most readily available 
means of developing a child's power of expression. But unless the 
aim of developing power of expression be continually present the 
reproduction is of doubtful value. Valuable results in reproducing 
can come only from suitable stories. " The story with well-defined 
beginning, middle and end is obviously the best to begin with. If 
the parts are logically connected, one part will call for and suggest 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 67 

the next." " Cinderella," for instance, is helpful in that particular. 
Here the opportunity of " filling in " encourages the child, as his 
ability grows, to add descriptive touches, the products of his imag- 
ination. Thus there may result from reproduction, skilfully guided, 
not only spontaneous self-expression in correct English 1)ut also an 
exercising of the imagination productive of power to shape the grow- 
ing idea. But the aim, the method, and the practice must be right. 
The work in the upper grades involving the conversational powers 
of the pupils was oftentimes effective. 

Many indications appeared that teachers were giving considerable 
drill in the use of words. In the lower grades such words as cat, ate, 
sit, sat. did, done, sec and saw were noted in this connection. In one 
instance a game was resorted to and in others various devices aided 
the drill. In an upper grade an effective bit of teaching was wit- 
nessed when a class discussed the distinctions in the use of the words 
to. too. txi'o. Here the pupils were given time to think and the con- 
structive work was reenforced by plenty of actual practice at the 
blackboard. In another grade the distinctions in the use of the word 
only were dwelt upon. The lesson was so presented tliat the pupils 
were keen in their grasp of the distinctions drawn. Such drill in the 
accurate use of words and in correcting errors made in written and 
spoken English should he l^oth " incidental and systematic." In the 
systematic drill the attention of the pupils must first be fixed on the 
correct forms in order to make them matters of habit. 

Dramatizations were too infrequently attempted ; in several schools 
none was seen. In many instances observed the dramatization had 
been worked out beforehand under the direction of the teacher, so 
that the actual performance lacked the spontaneity and the simplicity 
to be expected in children. Too much planning was resorted to by 
the teacher to allow for the development of the creative imagination 
or the inventiveness of the children. Dramatization should aid in 
making clearer to children the pictures of a story and by giving 
relaxation enable them to get a surer understanding and appreciation 
of the characters. Hence there " should be no formal work, particu- 
larly in the lower grades, unless for a special occasion. As many 
children as is practicable should be asked to help in playing the 
story." 

Oral expression in the elementary schools is receiving attention. 
The mechanics of oral expression, however, such as breathing, voice 
training, posture and enunciation are being neglected. At the most 
critical period in the child's vocal development practically no training 
is being given. 



68 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Very little attention, likewise, is being given to correcting such 
matters as speech defects of foreign children, blending words, clip- 
ping final syllables, and mispronunciations. No well-defined plan 
for improving and strengthening the organs of speech was anywhere 
observed. It was not evident that correct posture was being seriously 
considered in the school program. 

There should be a definite program of oral English which should 
provide for a large amount of time in the lower grades — seven- 
eighths of the time devoted to composition in grade one is sometimes 
suggested- — and a smaller amount in the upper grades — one-half of 
the time devoted to composition in the eighth grade. There might 
well be greater uniformity in the time devoted in the various grades 
throughout the city. 

The relation between oral and written expression is likewise im- 
portant. Oral composition is of service primarily in written compo- 
sition. Little indication was given anywhere that consciousness of 
such a relationship existed, and no specific attempts to cultivate it 
appeared. Writing and speaking are " two forms of one mental act." 
In the elementary school oral language work is the " natural prelim- 
inary to written work from the necessity of learning to speak before 
learning to write." Occasions that require pupils to use their natural 
powers of expression are the key to success in oral work. When 
such occasions are lacking the success is mediocre. It is the duty of 
teachers in the elementary schools to create these opportunities where 
the}- arc not present read}- made. 

Attempts to motivate work in English or to make use of interest 
as a means or as an end were seldom ol)served. Interest must be 
depended upon to furnish " motives for the acquisition of knowledge 
and for the formation of right habits of thought and action." In 
story-telling, in dramatization, in matters of technic, in oral and 
written composition, in the reading of literature, too little efifort was 
made by the teacher to show the cbildren the need they have, personal 
or social, of the thing being taught. There is a utilitarian as well as 
a cultiu-al \alue to English. Both must be recognized by teachers in 
the elementar}- schools and i)Ut before the pupils gradually as motives 
for the accomplishment of certain results. Written and oral com- 
positions should arouse the pupils' interests ; they should be used for 
specific purposes, with definite audiences in mind. One instance in 
letter writing has alread}' been noted. Rules of grammar, learned 
ai)art from composition, have very little eftect on the use of English 
as a means of exjjressing ideas. Put an adequate motive before the 
child and the most commonplace subject assumes a different aspect. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 69 

The teaching of English, even in the elementary school, should be 
socialized and vitalized to the extent that pupils are trained to recog- 
nize at their true value motives and methods having human interest 
always present. 

Some efforts to correlate written composition with the life of the 
pupils in the community were observed, however, in certain schools. 
These are worthy of recognition. Practically no attempts were noted, 
on the other hand, to correlate the work within the school. One 
instance stood out unique in which hygiene and English in a fourth 
grade were ])eing correlated. A valuable opportunity is lost unless 
the English in a school is closely bound up with the geography, the 
history, and many other subjects. 

All elementary schools lacked libraries. '^ In one school there are 
about 200 books in the office, most of which are not available for the 
use of pupils. In another school there were a few volumes scattered 
throughout the different rooms. In each building there should be 
a library in a room by itself, under the charge of a librarian. This 
should be for all the pupils, but particularly for use of the seventh 
and eighth grades. If we expect to build up in our pupils a love for 
literature, we must make literature accessible under skilful guidance 
in the school. The library in the school does not need to take the place 
of the city library, but it does need to supplement it in its work. If 
it is impossible for the board of education to establish a library in 
each school, a branch of the city library might be installed to which 
pupils should have free access. 

Much would be gained by having the subject of English carefully 
supervised from the first grade through the twelfth. There would 
be less effort wasted by individual teachers, more unity in the work 
within (lift'erent schools, and closer articulation possible between the 
different grades and between the grades and the high school. 

To meet the new trend in the teaching of English today it is neces- 
sary to get a wide acquaintance with literature, both for itself and for 
its effect upon the oral and written expression of the pupils. To help 
accomplish that end it may be necessary to devote more time to the 
study of English in the grades. Enough time should ])e devoted in 
each grade to secure results commensurate with at least the minimum 
requirements suggested in the syllabus in elementary English. When 
the time allotment has been made sufficient, it will be possible to 
broaden the reading of literature in the grades to meet more com- 
pletely the suggestions set down year by year. 



^ Large purchases have since I)een made. 



70 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Arithmetic 

The report on arithmetic is based on the observation of classroom 
instruction conchicted by the teachers. In most cases the instruction 
was under normal conditions, that is, on the assigned lesson of the 
day and at the regular recitation period. Ninety-nine classes were 
inspected. Most classes were inspected by two men. Each man 
made his inspection independent of his associate. The inspections 
were made on different days. This is a composite report made from 
their notes. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 



71 



U o 

.ss.s 

.E en 



CO 00 t^ 



CO 



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00 00 CO NO NO 00 o 


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-^ T fO fO fO "^ -^ 


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^^^^„^r^ 


ro (^ 


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1— ' i-H r^ r^ ctj f^v in ^ 
■^ Tt- ,-1 -«^ Tt cv) r'; ' 



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,^ .tf;OOvOr>*OOOiOTt- -voce 



^H^(MCSlrorc^Tj-ioi-f^NONO r^ 



72 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Table 7 gives the registration grade by grade and the per cent of 
the recitation time given to arithmetic daily. The last column is the 
average per cent of recitation time given in ten American cities. 
These per cents were obtained by Dr Bruce R. Payne in his studies 
of the elementary curriculums of those cities in 1904. He has for- 
mulated a proposed recitation time table, in which he allots 12.5 per 
cent of the total daily recitation time to arithmetic. 

The factors that should determine the time allotments of arith- 
metic, or of any subject, and its position in the daily program are 
the grade, the nvunber in the grade, the mental condition of the pupils 
and the character and interests of the community. Some programs 
in the Niagara Falls schools show that a few primary grades recite 
in arithmetic in 30-minute and 45-minute periods and that a few 
intermediate and grammar grades recite in 40-minute, 50-minute and 
55-minute periods. In only a few cases do the programs show sep- 
arate study and recitation periods. No definite time is assigned to 
supervised study. Part of the regular period is often used in this 
manner. " The needs of society within the probable environment of 
the child should be taken as a safe criterion of measurement of any 
subject in the elementary school curriculum." 

Reliable authority asserts that formal subjects are more fatiguing 
than content subjects. If this be true, formal subjects should be 
given the best periods of the day, especially in the lower grades. In 
some of the Niagara Falls schools, arithmetic is taught at the close 
of the forenoon and the aften\oon sessions. 

There seems to be no uniform method of procedure in teaching 
the fundamentals of arithmetic. Some pupils add columns of figures 
upward ; others add them downward. In oral arithmetic some pupils 
repeat each number in the column before they add it to the sum up 
to that number. But no pupil was observed to add by counting; by 
his previous drill he knew or he did not know the sum. In subtrac- 
tion, multiplication and division pupils in the same grade sometimes 
used different methods of procedure ; this difference in method was 
usually attended by the pupils' inaccuracies, inattention and lack of 
speed. 

Some teachers are making commendable efforts to improve the 
speed and the accuracy of their pupils in fundamentals. They are 
meeting with varying degrees of success. Those who fail to attain 
the requisite speed and accuracy fail in a way to inculcate in their 
])upils mechanical and mental habits that lead to the desired end. 
Time limits in formal work concentrate the attention of pupils. Con- 
centrated attention leads to accuracy and speed. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 7?) 

Ex-president Eliot says, " The system of education which mini- 
mizes the importance of accuracy of thought and of expression is 
relegating to a subordinate position one of the essentials of true 
scholarship and culture." Accurate thoughts can not be obtained 
with faulty or half -formed concepts. Errors in statements by pupils 
working in denominate numbers were largely due to the fact that they 
had faulty concepts of them. They had learned the tables without 
the use of appropriate apparatus. No teacher above the primary 
grades (which have a supervisor) was seen to use any apparatus or 
diagram in teaching arithmetic. All concepts of mensuration at 
least should be taught by diagrams or appropriate apparatus. Memor- 
izing tables used in the solution of problems is the end, not the be- 
ginning, of the instruction in their use. Roark says, " It would seem 
unnecessary to make so trite a suggestion, but it is a fact that in 
thousands of schools the barren grind of arithmetic is still gone 
through without the use of illustrative material." Inaccurate written 
expressions at the board too often passed without correction, as 
1/7 X 21 yds. =: $3. A pupil will never do any better work than 
his teacher accepts. 

It is a pleasure to note that many teachers require of their pupils 
in arithmetic accurate oral and written statements. Here are some 
comments on their work : " Errors corrected in the right spirit. 
Pupils kept busy." " Language corrected." " The written work 
was denominate numbers. The work was written neatly and accur- 
ately on the board. No important principle involved in the written 
solution was neglected. Good work." The good work done by those 
teachers will be reflected in their pupils' work in the upper grades. 

In the lower grades, oral expression and written expression are 
about equally divided. From the third grade to the eighth grade too 
much of each class period is devoted to written expression. All new 
written processes in grade arithmetic should be introduced by induc- 
tive oral expression. Success in written arithmetic is largely depend- 
ent upon this method of procedure. The written solution of prob- 
lems determines the effectiveness of instruction in oral arithmetic. 
As a result of an investigation conducted by Jessup and Coffman a 
few years ago, they proposed for each grade in cities of the size of 
Niagara Falls, the following median- per cent of arithmetic recitation 
time for oral work : 

Grade 

Per cent 



1 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


42 


46 


40 


28 


25 


21 


13 


12 



" The explanations were merely the reading of the operations per- 
formed " ; " no analysis " ; " mental problem of practical value — 



74 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

analytically cxi)Iainecl — good attention and intelligent etfort by the 
pupils " are some of the comments on classwork. The analysis should 
not be stereotyi)ed and lead to memorizing a mess of " logical ver- 
biage." Clear logical analysis of problems is important, if adapted 
to the capacity and advancement of the pupils. When the i)rocess 
of a type i)roblem is understood, all verbal analysis should cease. 

Successful develoi)ment lessons were conducted by a few teachers; 
none was attempted by others. I'he few who did development work 
used the projjer ajiperceptive basis upon which they built new con- 
cepts. Their success can be attributed in large measure to the fact 
that they are applying sound pedagogical i)rincii)les in their teaching. 
Teaching involves development and training as well as instruction. 

No checking of problems was observed. Pupils should be taught 
to prove their solutions. The check should become a part of the 
problem and thus be a very valuable part of the pupils' instruction. 
The check, when properly taught, is a most valual)le way of improv- 
ing the pu])ils" accuracy in computation and in increasing confidence 
in their ability. 

IMcMurry in his " Elementary School Standards " says, " In order 
that instruction may affect the ho])es and purposes of pupils, the 
subject matter must be intimately related to human interests and to 
the interests of children in particular." The instruction in arithmetic 
was too infrecjuently motivated, that is, related to human interests. 
The pupils should be led more frecjuently to solve prol)lems because 
the answers meet some ]:)ersonal neei\ of theirs. 

The teachers differ much in the amount and nature of drill exer- 
cises used in class. In one grade, "the drill lacked snap"; in an- 
other, "the drill lacked system"; in another, "work showed inade- 
quate drill on the tables " ; in another, " pupils not drilled to correct 
errors " ; in another, " excellent drill in writing and reading deci- 
mals — all well taught"; in another, "aliquot parts of a dollar 
drilled on — accurate statements required at all times." Drill to Ue 
effective must be regular and systematic. Jessup and Coffman in 
1917 found the median per cent of recitation time favored for strictly 
drill work by 564 superintendents distributed throughout the differ- 
ent sections of the United States as follows: 

Grade 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Percent 43 50 52 45 39 31 22 17 

I'hese sui)erintendents, by re([uiring drill work as a part of each 
arithmetic recitation, acknowledge the value of such work. The 
authors say, " We are certain that short drill periods produce the best 
results " in arithmetic instruction. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 75 

Assignments of work for study hours should be improved upon 
in many grade rooms. Poor assignments lead to groping in the dark 
and .to discouraging failures. The assignment should lead to inde- 
pendence and initiative in thought on the part of the pupils. Poor 
assignments lead to the teacher's doing too much of the work in the 
class hour. Good assignments put pupils in the mood to work and 
stimulate them to an active participation in the preparation of their 
lesson. 

The pupils might be profitably drilled in estimating answers. The 
question, " If 5 men can do a piece of work in 10 days, how long 
will it take one of them to do it, if each does the same amount of 
work? ■' puzzled nearly all in a seventh grade class. Absurd answers 
were given, such as, 15 days, etc. A drill in estimating results would 
tend to avoid such answers. Estimating results is a check on mis- 
placed decimal points and on absurd answers of different kinds. It 
is also a training in approximating results in practical life. 

In only one arithmetic class was any portion of the recitation hour 
devoted to the supervision of pupils' study. Notes on this teacher's 
work are, " Errors corrected helpfully and in the right spirit ; pupils 
kept busy; instruction correctly given." IMore teaching like that 
by other teachers would improve their instruction, whatever is its 
present standard. Hall-Quest says, " Precisely measured, experi- 
mental investigations show that supervised study improves the work 
of poor students." Wastes of the ordinary study hour and of home 
work indicate that the pupils' study periods should be supervised. 
The study hour should be one of the teacher's busy hours — not one 
of monotorial service of preserving discipline, keeping pupils at work 
or writing up records. She should find her pupils needing help and 
render the assistance unasked. She should attempt to develop their 
initiative. This can be done by knowing the pupils' needs and char- 
acteristics and by applying in the help rendered her knowledge of 
psychological laws. 

In the teaching of arithmetic in the grades, much is to be com- 
mended. The teachers average well in ability as instructors and as 
disciplinarians. No teacher was observed who was not definitely 
prepared for the work of the class hour — not only for the lesson 
to be taught but also for the material to be used during the class 
hour. Most teachers command the respect and attention of their 
pupils. Instruction is given daily in mental and written arithmetic. 
The pupils' written work is usually neat and well placed on paper 
and on the board. Not many answers in mental arithmetic were in 
concert. The language of the pupils receives attention by many 



7(i THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OK NEW YORK 

teachers. The fundamentals of nunihers are usually well taught. 
Most teachers get intelligent efTorts from their pupils. There is 
greater uniformity of teaching in the lower grades than in the upper 
grades. The lower grades have the help of the primary supervisor. 
The Elementary Syllabus is used by the city. Long division, how- 
ever, is taught in the fourth and not in the third grade. 

The following suggestions may be helpful by way of summary: 

1 Teachers should require of all pupils neat and legible written 
work. 

2 Arithmetic should minister to the child's needs and should be 
kept within his exi^cricncc, if the suliject is to be motivated through 
interest. 

3 Rationalization should receive more attention as an aid to the 
intelligent solution of prol)lems. 

4 Checking should be a feature of nearly every arithmetic class 
period. 

5 Time limits should be set for written drill work in arithmetic as 
a training in concentration. 

6 More devices for teaching numbers in the lower grades might 
be profitably used. 

7 Estimating answers would be hcl])ftil in developing the judg- 
ment of the pupils. 

8 \w teaching u])per grade arithmetic, time might be profitably 
spent in the interpretation and comprehension of problems that arise 
in the world's activities. 

9 The supervision of the study period should be more common 
with all teachers. 

History 

Readjustment in the amount of time allotted to the various subjects 
of study was in progress at the time of making the survey. In 
previous years such allotments had been determined largely by 
])rincii)als or by teachers along lines of customary usage in the local 
school or of individual judgments as to the most desirable distribu- 
tion of teaching-time. Under this procedure differences in relative 
time allotments were most noticeable in grades 5 and 6. Naturally 
the iini)ortance attached to a field of study as reflected in the daily 
schedule influenced largely opinion in the schools as to the relative 
value of studies. Without explanatory details, the statement appears 
warranted tiiat heretofore in grades 5 and 6 history has occupied a 
distinctly minor i)lace. The new weekly time allotments ujjon which 
a committee has been working in cooperation with the city superin- 
tendent of schools will become fully operative at the opening of the 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 77 

second semester of the current year. In this schedule 60 minutes 
weekly are assigned to history in grades 5 and 6, and this allotment 
will doubtless become standard for these grades throughout the sys- 
tem. The new-time standard indicated should operate favorably in 
securing better recognition for history in the intermediate grades, 
leading to a larger interest among pupils and to more fruitful results 
in teaching. Theoretically, an hour a week for history in these grades 
is a fair allotment. Skilfully and resourcefully used, that amount of 
time should prove adequate and the resultant achievement satisfac- 
tory. Considerable will depend on the manner in which the time is 
distributed. In some schools it has been customary to have a 12- 
minute period daily ; in others, three 20-minute periods weekly ; in 
one or two, two half -hour periods weekly. The question as to which 
of the three procedures is the best need not be discussed at this time. 
This is a question, however, that may fairly engage the attention of 
the supervising authorities with a view of establishing a standard 
that will yield maximum results in class instruction. The variable 
size of groups in the different schools might render exact uniformity 
undesirable. In any event the question is one for thoughtful con- 
sideration. 

Next to the determination of period-standards that will bring the 
intermediate grades in substantial accord, some method of outlining 
from month to month the subject matter and the general methods of 
presentation is clearly desirable. In the seventh and eighth grades 
where pupils have daily lessons and where in general the teachers 
have an adequate preparation in history, freedom, personal initiative, 
the choice of methods and to some extent the choice of materials on 
the teacher's part are indispensable to the best results. Such freedom 
in history teaching now exists in the grammar grades of Niagara 
Falls. Observations in various classrooms justify the impression that 
the teachers are responding appreciatively and successfully to the 
opportunities that are thus accorded them. In no case that came 
under the visitor's observation in these grades did teachers show a 
lack of thoughtful preparation for the day's lesson or a lack of re- 
sourcefulness in its presentation. In some classrooms, maps and 
other materials were freely used, and no tendency was noted to fol- 
low strictly or narrowly the letter of the lesson as printed in the 
textbook. Resulting from such freedom the pupils were c[uite gen- 
erally alive and responsible — sometimes enthusiastically so. 

The work in history appears in less satisfactory condition in 
grades 5 and 6 of most schools than in the grammar grades. Ten- 
dencies to narrowness of view on the part of teachers were here and 



78 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

there noted. There was a manifest disposition in some instances to 
follow the lines of least resistance. A common procedure is to have 
the pupils read two or three pages from the elementary texthook, the 
exercise sometimes ending in that way, but oftener followed by a 
few perfunctory questions that are perfunctorily answered by the 
pupils. The teaching rarely struck fire ; interest was at low ebb. 
Pupils frequently recited in a memoriter way. Interesting sidelights 
on historical incidents and personages presented by the teacher were 
quite infrequent. Lack of range in reading and a consequent lack 
of ability to illuminate history was often apparent. Opportunities to 
stimulate interest and eltort on the part of pupils were thereby lost. 

Plans already under way will probably result in a more definite 
organization of the work in history in the fifth and sixth grades. 
Provision for supervision that will prove effective in indicating to 
teachers desirable lines of reading, that will suggest stimulating pro- 
cedures in conducting classes, and that will result more surely in 
imparting to pupils in the history classes the kind of information 
that will supply the motive for going afield in their reading, will make 
for betterment in the history classes of these grades. In this con- 
nection it may be remarked that a skilled and inspiring supervisor 
of work in the intermediate and grammar grades would be helpful 
in accomplishing larger results. 

Elementary Drawing and Industrial Arts 

The drawing teacher prepares outlines for the elementary grade 
room teachers every two months. These are specific and helpful and 
contribute much to the effectiveness of the work. The outlines 
include considerable subject matter as well as directions for carrying 
to completion certain typicr' projects. 

The supervisor of manual training prepares mimeographed pat- 
terns for the toys made by the pupils in grades 4 and 5. Subject 
matter in this work is almost totally lacking. 

Partial dififerentiation takes place in grade 4. where the boys are 
taught cardboard and thin wood construction; complete dififerentia- 
tion in grade 6, when the boys are sent to the shop for bench work 
in wood. 

Equipment is suflicient to do the work as it is at .present planned. 
It will need to be increased from time to time as the work develops. 
The equipment and supplies were well taken care of. 




ANNUAL SCHOOL EXHIBIT IN STATE ARMORY 

A partial view. Household arts, drawing and manual training 




ANNUAL SCHOOL EXHIBIT IN STATE ARMORY 

A partial view. Woodworking and manual arts 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 79 

Grades 1 to 6 

Three supervisors cooperating are responsible for the drawing and 
handwork carried on in the first six grades, that is, the supervisors 
of manual training, drawing and home economics, as follows: the 
drawing supervisor for art and construction work, the manual train- 
ing supervisor for the cardljoard and thin woodwork in grades 4 
and 5 and for the benchwork in grade 6, and the home economics 
supervisor for sewing in grades 4, 5 and 6. The effectiveness of this 
organization is dependent largely upon the voluntary cooperation 
of the three departments which apparently are endeavoring to cor- 
relate their eflforts. 

The time devoted to the combined work in the grades is as follows : 
drawing and handwork in grades 1 to 3 inclusive, four 20-minute 
periods a week; drawing in grades 4 to 6 inclusive, three 30-minute 
periods a week ; construction in grades 4 to 6 inclusive, one 45-min- 
ute period a week ; sewing in grades 4 to 6 inclusive, one 45-minute 
period a week. 

It has been the aim of the art work to acquaint the child with the 
relation between art and the industries and art and the home. 

The course includes nature drawing, color study, illustration, con- 
stru ■ ' e design, drawing from toys, costume design, picture study, 
lettering and industry study. Beginning with grade 4 special em- 
phasis is placed on commercial design, interior decoration and indus- 
trial subject matter. There is a strong tendency in this toward 
industry — art — construction work. Picture study is taken care of 
largely in the language classes. 

It is stated that the aim of this work is to acquaint the pupils in 
grades 4, 5 and 6 with an elementary appreciation of the industrial 
opportunities of the community rather than to develop in them any 
specific tool technic. In grade 4 the work is. however, limited to card- 
board and thin wood (coping saw) and in grade 5 to thin wood, in 
grade 6 to thicker wood (bench work). 

Sixth grade work is planned to teach the fundamental processes 
of the common woodworking tools. A course based on this idea is 
followed rather closely. After the pupil has attained a certain pro- 
ficiency he is allowed greater freedom' in the choice of projects. All 
the work up to the seventh grade is in two dimensions only, that is, 
there are no projects involving the fastening of pieces of stock to- 
gether to form sides and ends as in box construction. Box con- 
struction is left for grade 7 to develop. 



80 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

The Intcnnedlale Cradcs 

The time given to drawing, manual training and sewing in grades 
7 and 8 is one hour for shop and one hour for drawing each week. 
The boys receive no instruction in freehand drawing. Their drawing 
is all mechanical, including the making of working drawings for shop 
projects. Some of these are made from perspective sketches. The 
text used em])loys first angle projection which is no longer used 
extensively in commercial i)ractice. A new text is to he substituted. 

In the seventh grade the boys are required to work to three dimen- 
sions and larger projects are undertaken such as bookracks, taborets, 
plant stands, the choice being left largely to the pui)il. There are 
certain processes which the boys are required to embody in their 
projects, and related work which is taken up. Sketches are made 
by the pupils of all the projects which they make both in the sixth 
and in the seventh grades. 

In grades 7 and 8 instruction in drawing, for the girls, is centered 
about the costume and the home. The home planning work includes 
an elementary study of materials, costs, architectural plans and color 
schemes as api)lied to the building of a bungalow. An attempt is 
made to correlate this work with civic interests and with the various 
departments in the school. 

The course in manual training has two objectives, the limited de- 
velopment of tool technic and the acquisition of as wide a range of 
industrial information as possible. It is not intended to confine the 
handwork strictly to wood. It is a fact, however, that woodworking 
has been employed almost exclusively up to the present time. Some 
upholstering and a little cane work is carried on in connection with 
furniture making. The weakness in the courses is their apparent 
lack of educative subject matter. The finished product would seem 
in some instances to have been considered as an end in itself. This 
was most noticeable at the Cleveland Avenue School shop where the 
" finished model " is still held up before the pupils as the most im- 
portant consideration in the instruction. This criticism applies with 
equal force to the work in thin wood in the lower grades. It is 
impossible to vitalize this work with industrial subject matter. Not 
being of sufficient worth to demand so much time in the school pro- 
gram there might well be some modifications in the work in manual 
arts. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 81 

Summary 

In the elementary grades of the Niagara Falls schools, the subjects 
of instruction include the common branches and also several special 
subjects such as drawing and industrial arts, music and physical 
training, which are under the direction of special teachers and super- 
visors. 

The supervisor of primary grades has given special study to the 
best methods in connection with the work in reading and has worked 
out the classroom procedure along excellent lines. This work has 
been modeled somewhat after the work in the primary grades in the 
city of Rochester. It is of interest to note that advantage has been 
taken of the best methods and devices that have been worked out 
in other localities. 

In the teaching of English throughout the grades the teachers are 
rapidly catching the spirit that should permeate such teaching. In 
general, it was noted that the pupils in the various grades seemed 
to have gained the ability to write letters suited to their grade and 
age. In the upper grades of one school, pupils were found to be carry- 
ing on an actual correspondence with other pupils in distant parts 
of the country. While the work was not uniformly strong, the fre- 
quent conferences should result in the gradual development of the 
best methods throughout the school organization. Pupils should be 
given every opportunity to develop their own individuality. It would 
be well worth while for teachers to encourage pupils to cultivate the 
habit of clear thinking in all recitations in the elementary school. 
Oral expression throughout the elementary grades is receiving the 
attention which it justly deserves. 

There was an unfortunate lack of li])rary facilities at the time of 
the first visits. This has. however, been corrected through large 
recent purchases. 

The work in arithmetic varied widely. There was much difference 
in the amount and nature of drill exercises used in the various classes 
and grades. In some instances inaccurate expressions written at the 
board passed without correction. Accuracy should be insisted upon. 
Pupils will not do any better work than the teacher accepts. It was 
observed that the instruction in arithmetic was too often unrelated 
to human interests. The pupils might well be given problems which 
meet some personal need or are closely related to some social interest. 
There was little attention given to the supervision of pupils' study. 

The work in history is in process of readjustment. In the fifth 
and sixth grades, history is taught in the form of biography but has 
a distinctly minor place in the school curriculum. The work is 



82 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Stronger in the seventh and eighth grades and is based on the state 
syllabus outlined for this work. Plans already under way will prob- 
ably result in more definite organization of the work in history in 
the fifth and sixth grades. 

One feature of the work in the elementary grades is noted in the 
beginning of manual work for both boys and girls in the fourth 
grade, In this grade the girls are given sewing and the boys are 
taught cardboard and thin wood construction. Complete difTeren- 
tiation takes place in the sixth grade where the boys are sent to the 
shop for woodwork. As this work develops, other equipment will 
be necessary. 

One aim of the work in the grades is to acquaint the pupils with 
an elementary appreciation of the industrial opportunities of the 
community. In the higher grades the course in manual training 
has as its objective some development of tool technic and the acqui- 
sition of a wider range of industrial information. 

There is an unusual spirit on the part of the entire elementary 
teaching staff in the schools of the city. The work could not be 
carried forward as is being done without every cooperation between 
teachers, principals and superintendent. As is noted elsewhere, the 
classroom work in many respects could be made more effective with 
more definite supervisory plans on the part of the elementary school 
principals. Helpful supervision and frequent meetings of the indi- 
vidual teachers in the various buildings for the discussion of class- 
room and instructional problems would make more eiTective the 
course of instruction. 

The outstanding need at the present moment is the reorganization 
of the work of the higher grades, which can be properly done only 
with adequate school buildings and equipment for the type of work 
that should be offered in a progressive intermediate school program. 
The plans that are already under way, with the full approval of the 
board of education, will meet this situation and give Niagara Falls 
one of the best elementary and intermediate school organizations of 
.any city of its class. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 83 



THE SCHOOL GROUP 

During the past decade the average daily attendance in the elemen- 
tary grades in Niagara Falls has increased over 82 per cent. This 
fact in itself presents a large problem not only in the matter of school 
accommodations but brings an equally heavy burden on the adminis- 
trative officers and local school authorities in providing the necessary 
teaching and supervisory staff to insure the best service that can be 
rendered. 

Table 8 

Showing average daily attendance in Niagara Falls schools, 1910-20 

y'car Eleincutary Schools High School 

1909-10 3161 512 

1910-11 3334 532 

1911-12 3552 551 

1912-13 3716 566 

1913-14 3821 546 

1914-15 4328 685 

1915-16 4523 712 

1916-17 4958 663 

1917-18 5914 

1918-19 5534 697 

1919-20 5774 804 

Percentage increase 1910-20. . . . 82% 57% 



During the past school year there was a registration in the entire 
school system in Niagara Falls of 7250. Of this number, 6391 or 
88 per cent v^ere registered in the elementary grades. In the city 
of Amsterdam during the same year 92 per cent of the pupils were 
enrolled in the elementary grades. In the city of Elmira, 78 per cent 
of the school enrolment during the past school year was found in the 
elementary grades. 

In the four cities mentioned, the percentage of pupils in the ele- 
mentary grades varies from 78 in Elmira to 92 in Amsterdam. In 
Utica and Niagara Falls the percentage of registration in the ele- 
mentary grades was 87 and 88 respectively. 



84 the university of the state of new york 

Table 9 

Showing percentage of pupils in each school year of public school system 

in Amsterdam, Elmira, Niagara Falls and Utica 

Per cent of pupils in Amsterdam Elmira A^iagara Falls Utica 

Elementary 92 78 88 87 

Kindergarten 9 5 11 5 

Grade 1 15 12 14 12 

Grade 2 14 8 12 14 

Grade 3 14 10 11 12 

Grade 4 11 9 11 11 

Grade 5 11 9 9 10 

Grade 6 5 9 9 9 

Grade 7 8 8 6 8 

Grade 8 5 8 5 6 

Secondary 8 22 12 13 

First year 4 8 6 7 

Second year 2 6 3 3 

Third year 1 4 2 2 

Fourth year 1 4 1 1 

In the Niagara Falls school system, the number of boys is 3636 
and the number of girls 3614. In the Elmira school system, the 
number of boys is 3294 and the number of girls 3269. In the public 
school system of the city of Utica the number of boys is 6196 and the 
number of girls 6259. 

One may judge from the table given above, showing the percentage 
of pupils found in each grade, that the holding power of the school 
system on the boys and girls above the compulsory school age is 
greater in Elmira than in Niagara P'alls and in Utica, and that in the 
city of Amsterdam the percentage of pupils leaving school above 
the compulsory school age is greater than in any of the three other 
cities mentioned in the table. 

In the school system of Niagara Falls 334 pupils out of a registra- 
tion of 7250 are 16 years of age or over. In the school system of 
Elmira, with a school population of 6563, 864 boys and girls are 
16 years of age or older. In Elmira 13 per cent of the school regis- 
tration is 16 years of age or over while in Niagara Falls only 4 per 
cent of the school population is 16 years of age or older. 



report of the niagara falls school system 85 

Table 10 
Number of pupils enrolled by ages in Niagara Falls and in Elmira 

Age Niagara Falls Elmira 

4 years Ill 23 

5 years 604 333 

6 years 765 518 

7 years 735 529 

8 years 658 504 

9 years 651 527 

10 years 583 552 

11 years 620 545 

12 years 625 575 

13 years 573 557 

14 years 569 516 

15 years 420 507 

16 years 179 388 

17 years 100 272 

18 years 41 136 

19 years 13 58 

20 years 1 10 

Total enrolment 7250 6563 

Census 14 139 8923 

It is of interest to note in the two cities mentioned that there is 
a much more rapid eHmination of 16 and 17-year old pupils in the 
schools in Niagara Falls than in the schools in Elmira. In Niagara 
Falls the number of 14-year old pupils in the schools was 569; in 
Elmira the number was 516. The number of 15-year old pupils in 
Niagara Falls was 420 while the number in Elmira was 507. The 
difference is especially marked in the 16-year old and 17-year old 
groups. These two groups, respectively, in Niagara Falls number- 
ing 179 and 100, while in Elmira the two groups number respectively 
388 and 272. In other words, with a somewhat larger registration 
of 13-year old and 14-year old groups in Niagara Falls the city 
shows a very greatly reduced registration of the 16-year old and 
1 7-year old groups as compared with the registration of these groups 
in the Elmira schools. 



S6 



THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



Table 11 
Enrolment by age and grade in the Niagara Falls schools, 1919-20 







ACE 




CIAOES 


SKX 


' 


5 


<> 


' 


» 


1 


,o 


•■ 


12 


n 


■4 


15 


■ 6 


>7 


l8 


"9 


« 


21 

and 


TOTALS 


Kinder- 


M 
F 


57 
54 


256 
250 


56 
75 


3 


1 




























383 


garten. 


6 






























385 


. 


tr 

M 
F 




46 

50 

2 


265 

267 

44 

45 


167 
121 
184 
157 


56 
45 
120 
127 


4 
8 
66 
34 


2 
3 
19 
19 




7 
3 


2 

3 

4 




1 


















54Z 

495 





2 


















44^ 


' 







391 




JM 









40 


112 


^ 


63 


43 


19 


12 


5 

















393 


.» 


If 

M 
F 






3 


57 


137 


\ZA 
III 
128 


46 
114 
82 


19 
71 
67 


13 
40 

47 


5 

29 
29 


2 


1 














407 












26 


18 


9 














4(8 


< * 










3\ 


16 


4 














404 


s 


M 










1 


37 


92 


91 


60 


26 


29 


7 















343 


a ' 


F 










. A 


36 
1 

,3 


85 
30 
23 
2 


75 


51 


36 


17 


II 


2 












315 




81 
90 
37 


75 
97 
73 


59 
51 
52 


37 
43 
46 


31 
15 
18 




2 












314 


6 


F 

M 
F 












322 














230 


7 














3 


29 


75 


77 


44 


12 















240 




M 
















4 


26 


62 


63 


28 


3 












186 


s 


F 
















J3 


35 


73 


50 


l£ 


/ 












178 




M 

F 

fM 


















Z 


21 

29 

2 


78 
80 
II 


71 
30 


41 
21 


6 
5 

16 


1 

3 
3 


r 

3 






217 


9 




















z 
j 


232 








87 


s ■» 


F 
M 

F 
M 
F 
M 
F 
M 
F 
f M 




















4 


23 


35 
15 

26 
5 
8 


17 
15 
29 
5 
II 


15 
II 
22 
2 
17 
( 


5 
8 
8 
2 
7 


2 

1 

3 
2 


i 


1 


99 


'A 

s 




















1 


2 


55 




57 




...... 


— 








: 







2 


....5 


94 








17 


12 







45 










i 


• '-5 


304 


iTTS 


394 


316 














r 




4 
1 


2 
2 









6 




1 


5 


* 14 


31^ 


322 


334 


3or 


264 


28d 


227 


^J6 


^ 


~I6 


1 
8 


^^. 


^ 


1 




3636 


Toul.-. 


F 


54 


300 


390 


341 


342 


333 


261 


286 


324 


309 


2S0 


199 


101 


63 


25 


5 


1... 




3614 



The distribution of pupils in the Niagara Falls schools by age and 
grade shows that 63 per cent of the pupils in the elementary grades 
are of normal age for the grade in which they are found ; 1 1 per 
cent of the pupils are accelerated and 26 per cent are retarded. 
The largest per cent of pupils of normal age for their grade is found 
in the first grade, where 79 per cent of the pupils are of normal age. 
This i)crcentage decreases in the second, third, fourth and fifth 
grades where it reaches 52 per cent. In the sixth grade there is a 
slight increase in the percentage of pupils of normal age and a still 
further increase in this percentage in the seventh grade and in the 
eighth, the percentages in these three grades being 54, 59 and 68. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 87 

The percentage of pupils retarded varies from 12 per cent in 
the first grade to 50 per cent in the fourth. The increase in this per- 
centage is rapid from the first grade to the fourth, increasing from 
12 per cent in the first to 19 in the second, 28 in the third, and 40 in 
the fourth. There is a slight decrease in the fifth and sixth grades, 
where the percentages are 36 and ?)7 respectively. The percentage 
of retarded pupils in the eighth grade is 13. It may further be 
observed that the percentage of accelerated pupils varies from 7 to 
19 in the dififerent grades. The lowest percentage of accelerated 
pupils is found in the fourth grade where this percentage is 7. This 
is also the grade, as already noted, in which the percentage of retarded 
pupils is the highest. In the eighth grade 19 per cent of the pupils 
are accelerated. This is the highest percentage found in any grade. 

The fact that 68 per cent of the pupils are of normal age in the 
eighth grade and that only 13 per cent in the eighth grade are 
retarded must be due not so much to the school organization as to 
the fact that the mortality in this grade is unusually heavy, the per- 
centage of pupils retained above the compulsory school age being 
quite small. 

Table 12 

Percentage of pupils accelerated, normal, and retarded in each grade in 
Niagara Falls and Elmira 

Niagara Falls 

Accelerated Normal Retarded 

9 79 12 

11 70 19 

12 60 28 
7 S3 40 

12 52 36 

9 54 37 

15 59 26 

19 68 13 



Grade 
First 


Accelerated 
16 


Elmira 

Normal 
71 
63 
60 
56 
54 
56 
53 
58 


Retarded 
13 


Second 

Third 


16 

11 


21 

29 




11 


33 


Fifth 

Sixth 


13 

12 


33 
32 




13 


34 


Eighth 


17 


25 



Average 14 59 



11 63 26 



In the elementary schools of Elmira 14 per cent of the pupils are 
accelerated, 59 per cent normal, and 27 per cent retarded in the 
age-grade distribution. As has already been noted, in the elementary 
schools of Niagara Falls 11 per cent are accelerated, 63 per cent 
normal and 26 retarded in the age-grade distribution of the ele- 
mentary school pupils. 

The percentages given in the distribution of the pupils in the eighth 
grade, which would seem to indicate a much smaller percentage of 
retarded pupils in Niagara Falls than in Elmira, with a larger 
per cent of normal age, in the Niagara Falls schools, must be inter- 
preted in connection with the table showing the number of pupils 
of each age (table 10) and the percentage distrijjution of pupils as 
shown in table 9. Apparently, therefore, the large number of pupils 



88 Till-: UNIVICKSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

of normal a.^c in the cij^luh j^radc in Niagara Falls and the small 
percentage ol" retarded pupils as comjjared with similar conditions 
in Elmira must he due in part to the greater mortality of pupils 
above the conii)ulsory school age in Niagara Falls. 

The greater flexibility which will be brought about in the Niagara 
Falls school system through the development of the intermediate 
schools, plans for which are already under way, with the soiuewhat 
greater diversity in courses of instruction to be offered, will in part 
meet the problem of the proper school work which should be devel- 
oped for the pupils of the higher grades. At the present time the 
congestion in the two old grammar schools, in which the work in 
these grades is now being carried forward, notwithstanding every 
effort that is being made by the teachers, principals and school au- 
thorities, c;in not be of such a character as to appeal strongly to 
pupils of these grades, especially to those who are attracted in any 
wiiy by the industrial o])portunities of the community. These con- 
ditions will be greatly changed through the development of the new 
program which the board of education already has under way. 

Summary 

rhe attendance in the elementary grades has increased in Niagara 
I'^alls over 82 per cent in the last 10 years. This fact indicates a 
large problem not only in providing adequate school accommodations 
but also in suiting the school work to the ]nipils' needs, especially to 
those of the adolescent age. 

The industrial opportunities of the city present fniancial attrac- 
tions which result in a vcr}' considerable elimination of the pupils in 
the higher grades. As compared with Elmira, which was studied 
at the same time, Niagara Falls shows a greatly reduced registration 
of the 16 and 17-year old groups. 

The greater flexibility which will be brought about in the Niagara 
I'alls system through the development of the intenuediate schools, 
with somewhat greater diversity in the courses of instruction, will 
not only relieve the congestion in the higher grades of the gramiuar 
schools but will make a stronger appeal to the special interests of the 
]nipils of these grades. 

The new junior high school program will be the very best plan 
which the city can offer to meet this need for further educational 
opportunities for the pupils of the higher grades. 



REPORT OF TIIK NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 89 



HIGH SCHOOL 

The high school is in some respects the most distinctive feature 
of the American pubHc school system. No phase of our educational 
develo]:)ment during the past generation has been more marked than 
that of the secondary school. At times in the city and in the village 
community this has been at the expense of the elementary grades. 
The local pride in the high school may be o])served oftentimes in the 
building vi^hich is erected for high school purposes. Niagara Falls 
has endeavored to make provision for the increasing demands in 
both elementary and secondary work. It is not apparent that the 
needs of one field have overbalanced the other. 

The Niagara Falls High School occupies a large and attractive 
site near the geographical center of the city. The present high school 
plant was erected in 1903 and at that time was one of the model 
high school buildings of the State. The building is still in excel- 
lent condition, its inadequacy being due to the rapid increase in 
high school ])opulation, and to the greatly increased demands on 
the secondary field. 

'Ilie total school registration in Niagara Falls has increased from 
6288 in 1916 to 8313 in 1920. During this same period the total 
high school registration has increased from 915 to 965. The per- 
centage of high school registration to the total school enrolment in 
1916 was 14.5 while in 1920 it was only 11.5. It is not the purpose 
at this point to enter into an analysis of the decline in the percentage 
of high school registration to the total school enrolment during this 
five-year period. It may be remarked, however, that during the 
period of the World War there was a noted decrease in high school 
registration in our commercial and industrial centers, due to general 
war conditions with which every one is familiar. There was the 
ap|)eal from industrial establishments due to the unusual wages 
offered for services of various kinds. It is reasonable to hold that 
with the return of normal conditions the increase in the high school 
registration will be marked. 

Not only does the elementary school attendance show a much 
greater increase during the past decade than is shown in the high 
school attendance, but it may further be observed that while the 
high school attendance in 1910 was 16 per cent of the attendance 



90 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

ill the elementary grades, in 1920 the high school attendance was 
only 14 per cent of the average daily attendance in the elementary 
grades. 

The program of supervision and the courses of study that have 
been mapped out for the schools serve admirably the needs through 
the sixth year. Not until a reorganized program has been developed 
for the higher grades and articulated more closely with the high 
school will the school authorities be able to meet the needs of the 
community for the boys and girls of adolesc^ t age. This plan has 
been outlined elseweher and need not be erh^ftasized at this point 
beyond calling attention to the difiference in the point of view of the 
intermediate school program from the strictly formal grade schedules 
heretofore followed for the pupils in the seventh and eighth grades 
of the public school system. 

The system of forms and records in use in a school organization 
should serve a single purpose, that of keeping the teachers, princi- 
pals and parents fully advised as to the progress that is being made 
by the pupils in the school work, and also give complete information 
through the same means as to manner in which the administrative 
organization is functioning. 

On entering high school the pupil fills out what is called the " regis- 
tration card." 

REGISTRATION CARD 

Full name (surname first) 

Grade Room Day Month Year 

Age Years Months Days. Date of birth 

Parent or guardian 

Address of parent or guardian 

[f resident student, no. and st 



Address -, 

[ If nonresident, town District no 

Parent's occupation No. of telephone 

If " Regents preliminary "' completed, where and when ? 

I wish to prepare for 

HIGH SCHOOL, NIAGARA FALLS, N. Y., 192.... 

There is no sjiecial plan for guiding or directing the activities of 
the new pupils who enter high school for the first time. It is true 
that high school registration and courses of study are discussed with 
the eighth grade pupils hy principals and class teachers in the ele- 




ONE OF THE COMMERCIAL ROOMS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL 




THE BIOLOGY CLASSROOM AND LABORATORY IN THE HIGH SCHOOL 



RKl'OKT ()1<- TIIe NJAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 91 

menlary schools. This docs not, however, satisfactorily hridge the 
gap between the elementary grades and the high school, as is fully 
appreciated by the local school authorities. It may very properly be 
held that with some plan of grouj:) organization whereby the first year 
high school pupils might be divided into sections of fifteen to twenty 
pupils each with a faculty adviser responsible for each group, the 
large mortality in tlie high school might be greatly decreased and the 
pupils given wise and helpful assistance in determining the objec- 
tives of their work. 

The only record of the pui)ils' work in the elementary grades that 
carries over into high school is the report of the " preliminary " 
examinations. With the reorganization of the work in the higher 
grades and the early development of the intermediate school plan 
the " break " at the end of the eighth year will be entirely eliminated, 
and the new course of study made more flexiljle in terms of funda- 
mental community activities. 

The report of the pupils' progress is made to the [>arent three times 
during each term, at the end of the fifth, tenth and twcntietli weeks. 
The report must be signed by the parent and returned to the principal. 



92 



TIIK UNIVERSITY OF THK STATE OV NEW YORK 



Pupil's Report Card 

NIAGARA FALLS HIGH SCHOOL 

NIAGARA FALLS, N. Y. 



FALL 

SPRING TERM 

REPORT OF 

GRADE COURSE 



.19.. 



COUNTS 



Class St^dings 



Subjects 



5th 10th 

Week Week 



20th 
Week 



Ex 



English .. . . 

Latin ' 

Greek 

German . . . . 
French . . . . 
Mathematics 



History 



Science 



Commercial .subjects 



Drawing 

Domestic arts . . 
Manual arts . . . 

Elocution 

Music 

Phj'sical training 
Days absent . . . 
Times tardy . . . 






31 



.•5 ^^ 



Principal 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 93 

The average pupil registration per teacher in the Niagara Falls 
High School has remained nearly static during the past 5 years. The 
number of teachers in the high school has increased during the 
period from 1916-1920 from 33 to 39. The average number of 
pupils to a teacher has decreased during this period from 27 to 24. 
These figures show that the school is not overorganized and that the 
number of pupils per teacher is somewhat larger than is found in 
many high schools. 

The instruction in the high school may be grouped under the six 
courses which are somewhat interrelated. The content of these 
courses may be generally outlined as follows : 

1 The college course gives preparation for college entrance in the 
usual courses leading to the K. A. degree. To complete this course, 
the pupils must take, among other subjects, either three years of 
Latin and three years of a second foreign language or four years of 
Latin and two years of a second foreign language. Additional lan- 
guages may be elected. 

2 The scientific course prepares for entrance to the scientific 
courses in colleges or to scientific and technical schools. To com- 
plete this course, the pupil must have, among other subjects, at least 
three years of one foreign language. He may elect two years of a 
second foreign language, beginning this in either the second or third 
year of his course. By a proper grouping of subjects in mathematics, 
in science and in shopwork, he may earn through this course the col- 
lege entrance diploma in science or in engineering. 

3 The normal (teacher-training) course prepares for entrance to 
the normal schools of this State. 

4 The household arts course, including homemaking subjects, pro- 
vides a general course for girls, with a wide range of choice in elec- 
tives. 

5 The business course provides training in business subjects with 
some opportunity for choice in languages and in other subjects. 

6 The manual arts course is a practical shop course for boys, in- 
cluding work in wood and in sheet metal with an opportunity for 
a choice in languages, sciences and commercial subjects. 

In the normal and manual arts or vocational courses, the comple- 
tion of one four-year sequence, one three-year sequence and one 
two-year sequence of studies is necessary for graduation. 

Table 13 indicates for a five-year period the registration in each 
of these courses and is interesting in that it shows in part the direc- 
tion toward which the school is moving. For the school year 1920, 
ii may be noted that the college entrance course and the scientific 



94 THK UNIVERSITY 01' TIIR STATE OK NEW YORK 

course has enrolled nearly one-half of the high school population. 
The husiness course has the largest registration hut there has not heen 
any appreciahle growth in this course, whereas there has heen a 
normal increase of pupils each year registered in the college course. 

Table 13 
High school registration by courses 

1916 1917 191S 1919 1920 

College course 160 180 190 180 206 

Scientific course 170 176 180 197 195 

Normal course 85 75 42 32 56 

Household arts course id 35 30 37 56 

Husiness course 330 272 265 298 322 

Manual arts course 50 69 60 75 78 

Total 825 807 767 819 913 

The normal, the household arts and the manual arts courses have 
attracted relatively a small proportion of the high school student 
hody. It may he said in connection with this that possihly one reason 
for the small numher of pupils electing these courses has heen the 
lack of suitahle e((uipment together with inadequate space in the high 
school needed in these courses. The normal or teacher-training 
course has continued to attract a small numher of pupils. This is 
due undouhtedly in part to the general economic condition and the 
salaries paid in the teaching service. It is to he hoped that this con- 
dition will improve. 

The general im])ressi()ns gained from a study of the reports of the 
specialists who were engaged in the survey of the Niagara Falls 
High School indicate that in their judgment the instruction in indi- 
vidual suhjects is generally good and in some instances is superior. 
Certain limitations upon the effectiveness of teaching, caused hy 
crowded conditions or hy a lack of material ef[uipment, exist and 
these may he eliminated only when these conditions are removed or 
this needed equipment is provided. 

The Instruction as Observed 

In endeavoring to judge the (juality of instruction in the high 
school, ohservations in the various departments were made hy spe- 
cialists who visited the classrooms and who have j^repared the follow- 
ing summaries of the work: 

EngH.sli 

The org.'uiization of the English work in the high school is in 
many resi)ects admirahle. The spirit in the school is strong, and the 
attitude of the pui)ils toward the suhject of English is commendahle. 

There are approximately 900 pupils in the school. Five teachers 
(four women and one man) give their entire time to teaching English, 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 95 

each teacher having five classes and at least one free period. Three 
01 these teachers have charge of study halls one period in the day, 
and the other two teachers have each an extra free period. For this 
additional free period one teacher has charge of the school paper, 
and the other acts as counselor to the pupils who have just entered 
the school. Three teachers of other subjects have, each, one class 
in first year English, and a fourth teacher has two such classes. Here 
is enough work for one additional English teacher. 

The average number of pupils per teacher-period is 26.5, which is 
a reasonable number. The classes range in size from 16 to 34. The 
average total enrolment of the five regular teachers is 132, and the 
range is from 118 to 147. Some improvement might be made if 
each teacher's actual enrolment were more nearly equal to the average. 
This would probably involve difficulties of administration. 

Of the five regular English teachers, two are college graduates 
and three are normal school graduates. Four have had summer 
school work at various times, and a fifth holds a master's degree. 
One normal school graduate is about to complete her study for a 
degree at Columbia University. Their years of experience in high 
school work range from 5 to 28. The average number of years these 
teachers have taught in Niagara Falls is nearly 9. This record shows 
that they have a serious interest in the professional side of their 
work, that they have had sufficient practical experience in the class- 
room, and that their salaries are attractive enough to insure reason- 
able permanency of tenure. 

The problem of articulating the work of the first year in the high 
school and the eighth grade does not seem to have been touched very 
much as yet. A beginning could well be made by having the teachers 
in the high school and the grades exchange visits for the purpose of 
comparing problems. Special teachers of reading and elocution, as 
well as all teachers of oral expression in the elementary schools and 
the high school, should have frequent conferences whose aim is to 
eliminate the gap between these interactional parts of the school 
system. Each group of teachers should be conversant with the aims 
and methods of the other. With the development of the junior high 
school program real and effective articulation will be secured. 

An effective bit of work is being done within the high school in 
the matter of correlating the English and civics. A junior chamber 
of commerce has been organized to which all pupils entering from 
the elementary schools belong. A practical application of the theory 
learned in the civics class is made in the junior chamber of com- 
merce. Much of the information so gathered is used in the oral and 



96 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

especially in the written composition of the first year. Definite at- 
tempts are made also to correlate the oral and written work in Eng- 
lish in the upper years with other school studies and with life. This 
correlation is shown chiefly in oral and written compositions — his- 
tory, science, and the industries of the community furnishing suh- 
jects. Correlation is again secured in the choice of hooks for home 
leading. Here, likewise, hooks .selected hy the pupils" are very often 
those concerned with ancient and contemporaneous history, science, 
travel and hiography. These things indicate a healthy interest on 
tlie i)rirt of holh pu])ils and teacher in the affairs of life. 

The library contains alxnit 2000 volumes of varied types. Api)roxi- 
mately 7S per cent of these are of general interest from the stand- 
point of luiglish and comprise (iction, history of a ])opuL'ir character, 
biograph)', essays and poetry. This library is in charge of a prac- 
tical librarian, trained in the school of ex])erience. The library itself 
is much too small for a school of ^)00 pu])ils, and the room in which 
it is placed is entirely inadequate from the point of size and etiuij)- 
ment. A library room in a school of from 800 to 1000 i)upils should 
seat from 50 to 80 pupils at a time and should be capal)le of shelving 
from 5000 to 8000 volumes, it sboidd be the most attractive room 
in the building, well lighted, and e([uipped with low shelving. There 
should be tables seating from six to eight inipils, pictures, a bulletin 
board for ])()sting illustrative materials and reading lists, and exhibit 
cases. It should have a " vertical file " for holding clippings and 
pamphlets arranged in alphabetic order, and a set of drawers for 
keeping lantern slides, post cards, maps, victrola records and all 
other accessories necessary for the most effective cooperation be- 
tween the library and the departments of Latin, English, history and 
biology, and all other high school activities. It should be the deposi- 
tory of all the illustrative material belonging to the school. 

In order to secure the cooperation mentioned above, the librarian 
should be in close touch with the teachers of all subjects; she 
should know what matters are to be taken up in various departments 
next week or next month so that she may select and gather in one 
place for the use of the teacher and pupils such books, pamphlets, 
pictures and objects as will aid constructively in the instruction. 
Each teacher and pupil should have such a deep interest in the library 
that he will feel it a i)rivilege to furnish for the use of the pupils any 
clippings, pamphlets, post cards or odier materials which he may 
have. The library should be the most cherished si)ot in all the school. 

Despite adverse conditions in Niagara l<\'ills, howcxer. the library 
is doing some service in the school, as is manifested bv the interest 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 97 

with which pupils borrow books. During September 1919, 2900 
volumes and in November 1919, 2447 volumes were circulated. This 
is an indication of a healthy condition and every effort should be 
made to capitalize it for the best interests of the work not only in 
English but in every other subject. 

Niagara Falls High School is approved for certification of work 
ill literature. This means that the work the pupils do in literature 
is not subject to examination but is accepted by the State Depart- 
ment of Education on the certificate of the principal. Such a privi- 
lege is accorded only to schools having satisfactory teaching condi- 
tions. The amount of supplementary reading done is an important 
factor. In Niagara Falls the pupils are inclined to read more than 
the minimum number of eight books a year, and the school wisely 
recognizes this extra reading by granting additional credit in litera- 
ture. The teachers seem to be building up a love for literature that 
is worthy of recognition. 

There are several other features in the high school that are worth 
noting. The teacher of elocution handles one class in first year 
English. The rest of her time is devoted to preparing pupils to take 
part in school assemblies and dramatic performances. Enrolment in 
these classes is voluntary. Some very helpful assistance could be 
obtained from this teacher if she were given time to work with pupils 
who have speech defects or who otherwise need special attention. 
Little time seems to be given to debating. This part of the work 
should be more seriously considered from the standpoint of its value 
to oral expression. 

The school paper, " The Chronicle," is published l)iweekly. It 
takes the form of a newspaper devoted to the interests of the school 
community. One of the teachers in the English group acts as 
faculty adviser, and the paper serves as an outlet for composition 
work done in connection with the regular classes. Each issue is 
subsidized by the board of education to the amount of $45 so that 
it is possible to have the advertising reduced to a minimum and to 
sell the paper for 2 cents a copy. 

Pupils in the commercial course take fourth year English in a 
class by themselves conducted by the commercial teacher. The ap- 
proach is largely from the point of business practice, little time being 
given to the study of literature. There is thus a tendency to narrow 
the work done by these pupils. If they do not have any other English 
instruction at this time, their work should be as varied as that of the 
other pupils, with the express idea of fitting the sul)ject matter to 
their particular needs. Oral expression, business correspondence. 



98 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

spclliiiij; and the ac(|iiii"ing of a business vocal)ulary should each he a 
part of the instruction. The reachny of hterature. however, should 
not he neglected. l)Ooks and articles reflecting the sjiirit of the 
present, those that have a bearing upon business, and those that treat 
of the problems and activities of life ought to he made a part of this 
year's reading. Intermingled with these should be some standard 
books, well chosen and sanely taught, designed to be of assistance in 
building character. It is a question whether this work can not be 
handled better l)y a teacher of I'jiglish than by a teacher of business 
practice. The outlook of such a teacher, at least, is apt to be broader. 

h'or the past few years a class has entered the high school from 
ihc grades in b'uiuary made u]^ largely of pupils who have failed the 
preceding June or of pui)ils who are overage. Occasionally a bright 
])upil has found himself in this group. Into this class of i)Upils in the 
high school have gravitated some boys and girls who failed in their 
work there and some who h;ive covered two terms' work in one or 
who have entered the school at an unfortunate period. These classes 
go through the school much like the trough of a wave, the crest of 
which is high and 1)roa(l. It is to l)e noted, however, that the class 
graduating from the Cleveland Avenue School in January 1920 con- 
tains only 50 per cent, out of a class of 24 pupils, of pu])ils who are 
re])cating ihe eighth grade or who are overage. Thus twelve spe- 
cially bright pupils, selected by examination, will enter at this time. 
Ilereafter it is expected that there will not be a b'uiuary class in that 
school, 'i'he effect of these classes seems to be nn)st marked in I'^ng- 
lish, as the ])niiils are kejU together for the most ])art in a se]>arate 
section. 

There are certain e\idences of a good recitation, most of which 
should appear in any one i)eriod. A class in which a good recitation 
is going on should be orderly and interested and should give one 
the impression tliat its members have made a careful, intelligent 
preparation of the day's work. The pupils should show that thev 
are getting a clear conception of the subject under sympathetic, help- 
ful, inspiring guidance. The teacher must show that she is convers- 
ant with the lesson, that she has the ability to correlate the work of 
the period with the affairs of life, and that her aim. suited to the 
needs and ability of her pupils, bears a proper relation to those that 
have ])receded. The topics and questions based on them ought to 
be presented in right sequence. The recitation must be adapted to 
the age and state of development of the pupils. Evidences of mutual 
confidence and helpfulness between teacher and pupils should appear. 
The assignment of work for the succeeding" period ought to be definite 



REI'OKT OK THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 99 

and such helps as are required should l)e definitely given. The 
iiiotivalion here and at the other points in the lesson must be clear 
and sure. Above all. the lesson should close with the interest of 
the pui)ils keen. 

In most of the recitations observed the classes were orderly and 
interested and gave assurance that a painstaking preparation of the 
day's work had been made. In several instances pupils showed they 
were not getting a clear understanding of the subject being discussed. 
This was very noticeable in one class where the diagram was being 
used as a means of teaching points in grammar. Helpful, sympa- 
thetic guidance was lacking with the inevitable result that the pupils 
failed to profit by the recitation. Other indications of the same fault 
appeared in other classes where pupils gave no jjroof that they had 
a grasp of the principles of grammar under discussion. In all cases 
regular teachers of luiglish showed that they had made thorough, 
personal preparation of the lessons and that they had the ability, 
even if they did not make the most of their o])portunities at all times, 
to relate their teaching to life. Several recitations were observed 
in which there was some skilful questioning based upon a well-defined 
aim and u])on topics carefully chosen. 

Teachers ought to take account of stock frequently to assure them- 
selves that they are not teaching beyond the comprehension of their 
pupils. No instances of this type of teaching were seen in Niagara 
Falls. Unfortunately, however, the teaching frequently lacked the 
incentive and the inspiration that makes for efficiency. There were 
classes, nevertheless, where such inspiration and incentive were pres- 
ent, as for instance in one period when the i)upils were studying some 
modern essays. There the pupils and not the teacher were doing the 
work with consequent success. Needless to say, interest prevailed. 
In too many cases, however, the teacher did practically all the work 
with the result that the pupils gained little except an indifferent 
amount of information. Reading and study of literature demands 
a maximum amount of activity from the members of a class. Al- 
though a liking for literature seemed to i)revail in the school, it was 
quite clear that for the most part this came about as a result of the 
supplementary reading rather than the class work. In too many 
cases the broader, underlying ]^rinciples, the ideals, were not empha- 
sized ; on the contrary, the discussions were too analytical. In one 
period, nevertheless, an excellent treatment of Gray's Elegy was 
observed where the teacher had grasped the spirit and was trans- 
mitting it to her class by eft'ective teaching. 



100 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Little attention appeared to be given to making definite assign- 
ments for the next day's recitation or to motivating the work in com- 
position. Only one case was noted where the assignment was definite 
and sufficiently well formulated to be of dynamic value. More often 
tlie assignment was made almost as an afterthought, and in one 
period only the last two minutes were given to it. It is beginning to 
be realized that an assignment of work with effective incentives or 
one lacking such stimuli means a recitation the next day with conse- 
quent profit or loss to the class. Composition, oral and written, 
offers the best chance for proper motives. Presence of an adequate 
motive makes school work full of purpose. Motives apparently 
simple to teachers are of immense value to pupils. They help the 
pupil to function properly in the school community. There are vari- 
ous types of such motives. Today the most compelling is the social. 
In a community of the character of that in Niagara Falls there are 
abundant opportunities for the utilization of the social motives in 
composition. Very little evidence appeared that these motives were 
being used in the oral and v/ritten work. Better results must follow 
where pupils are taught to recognize problems and to respond to the 
incentives demanded in their solution. 

In conclusion it should be reiterated that the organization of the 
work in many respects, as far as individual teachers are concerned, 
IS to be commended. Better results might logically be expected if 
all the classes were taught by teachers especially trained in English. 
The teaching of the subject in general may suffer, likewise, because 
these teachers have no leader who is responsible to the principal of 
the school for their work as a group. The library exists under 
adverse conditions. Better things may be looked for, undoubtedly, 
when it is placed in a suitable room, and made adequate for the 
important service it should render the school. The instruction in 
English as observed was somewhat uneven. This is not unexpected 
where part of the instruction is given by teachers whose major in- 
terest is in other subjects. Where the instruction was given by 
teachers who have specialized in English, the results were more 
effective although not all to be desired. On the whole, the teaching 
was directed toward securing power to meet situations independently 
rather than toward accumulating a fund of information. 

Latin 
The information presented in the following paragraphs was ob- 
tained through visitation of various classes and through conferences 
with the teachers. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 101 

Observations were made in ten classes as follows : 

In Latin 1-B 4 classes 

In Latin 1-A , 1 class 

In Latin 2-B 2 classes 

In Latin 2-A 1 class 

In Latin 3 1 class 

In Latin 4 1 class 

There are four teachers in the staff engaged in giving instruction 
in Latin. Two of these devote their entire time to such work, in- 
structing five classes each daily. The other two have two classes 
each in first year Latin, devoting the remainder of their time to 
classes in other subjects. 

Of the four teachers included in the list, one had the B. A. degree 
(Latin major) obtained at Cornell University, one had the degree 
of Pd.B. from the New York State Teachers College, and two are 
graduates of the Buffalo State Normal School. One had had four 
summer school courses at Cornell, and the other three have had one 
such course each, two at Columbia and one at Cornell. The maxi- 
mum number of years' experience in teaching represented in the list 
is 29, the minimum number 20. the average experience for the four 
is 24 years. One of the group had 3 years' experience before com- 
ing to Niagara Falls ; the entire experience of all the others has been 
in this system. One of the four had taught Latin here for 27 years, 
the others respectively 20, 10 and 5 years each. 

The present relative status of Latin in the group of foreign lan- 
guages represented in the high school curriculum is shovvm in table 14. 

Table 14 
Relative status of the various foreign languages 

Year 
1 

2 

3 

4 

Total.. 846 322 191 83 17 

From table 14 it will be noted that Latin is the preferred foreign 
language among a majority of the pupils. Considerably more than 
half of the total enrolment in the various foreign languages is in 
Latin. Of the total high school enrolment Latin shows a percentage 
of 38 + ; French, 20 + ; Spanish, 10; German, 2 +. In view of 
the large commercial and industrial interests in Niagara Falls and 



High school 


Enrolment 


Enrolment 


Enrolment 


Enrolment 


enrolment 


in Latin 


in 


French 


in 


Spanish 


in German 


449 


143 




92 




71 




186 


104 




76 




12 




149 


58 




23 






17 


62 


17 













102 THE UNIVKKSITY OF TIIK STAll'-. OK NKW YORK 

the extent to which such interests are represented in the technical 
courses pursued l)y pupils in the high school, this showing is con- 
sidered a favorable index of the place that Latin holds in i>nl)lic 
esteem. 

The status of Latin as a preferred subject of study affords a pre- 
sumption of good teaching. In the more advance<l classes, this pre- 
sumption is warranted by the facts. All the second, third and fourth 
year classes are taught by the two women of the staff who are best 
qualified by professional education and by experience for this work. 
In a better proportion than heretofore pujjils are making good in 
their classes in Latin 2, 3 and 4. In i)oint of modern technic there 
was much to commend in the instruction of the second year classes. 
The spirit of the new two-year syllabus was well retlected in the 
teaching of these classes, and its influence as a stimulus in arousing 
interest and in getting momentum in the classroom, was ai)parent. 
Good leadership was also noted in the conduct of these classes. 

Pupils in the third and the fourth year classes were reading their 
texts with understanding and with commendable appreciation of 
literary values. Collateral matters of the biographical and historical 
type were not neglected in the classes in Cicero. In the study of 
Vergil, the effort to interpret the spirit of the poem l)y a regard for 
the graces of h',nglish expression was noticeable.. Here, too, col- 
lateral topics - - mythology, allusion, geographic features — impor- 
tant to a genuine understanding of the poem, were receiving due 
attention. It is possible that in the effort to treat collateral topics 
adequately in the classes in Cicero and Vergil, too great a proportion 
of the recitation periods are sometimes consumed, but on this point 
our information is incomplete. 

in general, these classes are making good progress. In conducting 
the recitations in Cicero and Vergil, the teacher showed insight, range 
of attainment and a creditable variety in presenting the lessons. 

Observations were made in all five of the classes in first year Latin. 
In one of the five, impressions obtained were distinctly favorable. 
In the other four classes, many of the pupils appeared indilferent 
and most of them were (|uite unresponsive to the teachers' efforts. 
In general the pupils did not seem to l)e well prepared on the assign- 
ments and in consequence the recitations proceeded slowly. In view 
of the time in the term at which visitation was made (the ninth 
week), the classes appeared behind standard in their accomplishment 
to date. The observer's impressions of these classes point to the 
need of better technic in teaching, more spirited procedure with con- 
sequent gain in momentum in class activities. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 103 

In this connection it may be observed that the work in Latin is 
not strictly departmental nor is there any departmental head. Ex- 
cept as teachers may confer informally from time to time, there is 
no way whereby definite understandings may be had regarding the 
ground to be covered from month to month, nor regarding the 
manner in which the work must be done. Standard tests are not 
applied at different stages of progress in the work of the first year, 
nor is there a common understanding as to desirable goals of achieve- 
ment from term to term. There is no one who exercises authority 
in unifying and standardizing effort. The designation of a depart- 
ment head woukl he distinctly in the direction of progress. It would 
seem desirable, too, to place the work in first year Latin in the hands 
of o)ie teacher, who would assume all responsibility for instructing 
all the classes. Such a teacher should have reputable scholarship, 
a sense of humor, excellent qualities of leadership, expertness in 
modern technic and the enthusiasm that insures interest in the class- 
room. 

History 

In the Niagara F'alls High School, the work in history and in 
lelated subjects is in charge of four teachers. Their training and 
experience indicate a satisfactory ecjuipment for the work they are 
doing. Three of them are college graduates, two of whom have 
had postgraduate courses in political and social science ; the fourth 
is a normal school graduate with special training at Columbia. The 
average general experience of these teachers is 20 years, of which 
5 years have been given in Niagara Falls. 

The allotment of their work, as shown by the schedule of studies, 
indicates that each of these teachers usually has five recitation periods 
and two vacant periods each school day. The classes generally 
number from 20 to 25, but in several cases there is a class registra- 
tion of over 40 pupils. Where such registration exists a distribution 
of pupils is desirable. 

The present program provides for classes in the following sub- 
jects : ancient history, modern history 1 and 2, American history, 
community civics, economics and commercial geography. The plan 
whereby an experienced teacher of. history teaches classes in com- 
mercial geography is to be commended for she can bring to her 
instruction the elements of social and industrial history that are so 
closely related to commercial development. 

The work in this field is in a transition stage. It is in the process 
of adjustment from the old to the new syllabus in history. When 
this readjustment is made it may be desirable to drop economics as 



104 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

a separate subject of study and to organize the sections in American 
history so that pupils pursuing the commercial and manual arts 
courses shall be in one section. The flexibility of the proposed sylla- 
bus in American history will permit these pupils to emphasize the 
social, economic and industrial phases of the syllabus. 

The equipment in maps and charts is fairly complete, but in a 
school of this size it should be possible to fit up the rooms used for 
the department of history so that they will in a measure reflect the 
spirit of the work. Good pictures, models, reference books, collec- 
tions of historical material would create an historic atmosphere and 
should stimulate and inspire pupils with a love for a most interesting 
and vital part of their education. 

The class recitations ranged from fair to excellent. Where pupils 
were expected to recite topically, to express individual judgments 
and to use material other than the text as a basis for these judgments, 
the results were at once evident to an observer. The work pro- 
gressed spiritedly and the class was interested. But where there was 
a memoriter reproduction of the text with little discussion of the 
facts presented, the class reaction was distinctly poor. Fortunately 
the great majority of the recitations observed were of the first type. 

Mathematics 

This report is based upon the observation of the classroom work 
of the five teachers of mathematics in the high school. 

There are four women and one man in the department. All but 
one are college graduates and all are seasoned teachers of several 
years' experience. One is a normal school graduate only but she 
has done considerable summer school work in mathematics. She 
seems ambitious to keep abreast with the times in her work of teach- 
ing. One or two others have done summer school work since gradu- 
ation from college where each specialized in mathematics. 

While the one man in the department is the nominal head, there 
is no recognized head to the department. 

There are six periods daily in the school program and the work 
is so arranged that each teacher shall have generally one free period 
each day. Classes are small in size, ranging from about 15 to 25, 
so that the teacher can keep in touch with the needs of the individ- 
ual pupils and all can take active part in each recitation. This is a 
very dcsiral)le feature. 

There arc no department meetings in mathematics. Department 
meetings at which the best methods of teaching the various topics 
and subjects are freely discussed would be helpful. This should 



REPORT. OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 105 

have a tendency to make the teaching more uniform and hence any 
necessary transfer of pupils from one division to another more easy. 
In some of the classes in algebra certain procedures were attacked 
and forbidden that were tolerated in other classes. This clearing 
house of ideas would eliminate conditions of this sort. 

There should be opportunity f rec[uently to visit one another's class, 
to get ideas and to make friendly suggestions. This is not being done. 

Teachers do not seem to have available in the school library books 
on the teaching of mathematics and mathematics magazines. There 
should be a more intimate knowledge of the syllabus requirements in 
mathematics on the part of some of the teachers. This might well 
afford material for discussions at the department meetings. 

If algebra is to be started in the eighth grade, as it is in the ele- 
mentary schools in this system, there should be frequent conferences 
l)etween the teachers of first year algebra in the high school and the 
eighth grade teachers. At these conferences the work of the eighth 
grade should be mapped out and suggestions made as to the best 
methods for teaching the subject. This is the only way that such a 
course can be intelligently planned and successfully carried out. 
Needless to say, this cooperation should be open, cordial and friendly 
and reciprocally helpful. Here again we see the desirability of a 
recognized head to the department who could have general supervi- 
sion over these conferences and could make frequent visits to the 
classes concerned to see how the work is being carried out. 

In some of the recitations observed there was a tendency on the 
part of the teacher to give too much help to the pupil and assume 
the responsibility at the first approach of a difficulty where help was 
not needed. Not enough of the work and explaining was done by 
the pupil. While the questioning on the part of the teachers was 
generally good, occasionally it did not seem to provoke much thought 
on the part of the pupil. 

All the rooms were well supplied with good blackboards and in 
some of the classes it would be desirous to make more extensive use 
of them. In classes like first year algebra, principles are mastered 
only by repeated application in problems and the blackboard affords 
a good means of conducting this drill. Greater emphasis should be 
placed upon accuracy and checks in algebra and should generally be 
required in all home work. Home work too should receive more 
careful consideration to be sure that it has been done by the pupils 
and mastered by them. 

Rooms in which geometry classes are being conducted should be 
well supplied with blackboard compasses and rulers. Pupils should 



, 106 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

not be allowed to recite at their seats but should pass to the board 
and use the pointer when explaining. All drawings should be made 
with ruler and compass and should be reasonably accurate. 

Recitations in mathematics in general, in geometry in particular, 
should be conducted on the analytic or inductive method, leading the 
pupil to greater confidence in his al)ility and instilling in him the 
spirit of discovering facts for himself rather than making it memo- 
riter work. 

Biologic Science 

Two teachers give instruction in the year course in biology. They 
are both college-bred. One was graduated from Syracuse University 
which she entered after graduation from the Cortland Normal School. 
She has also taken summer courses in Cornell University. She has 
taught biology in this school for the past 10 years. The other teacher 
was graduated from the William Smith College in Geneva. She came 
to this school to teach biology two years ago after four years of 
experience in teaching the subject in a smaller school. 

Instruction is given to 185 pupils in eight sections. Each section 
receives seven periods of instruction weekly, at least two of which 
are given in laboratory work. The teachers have rendered and are 
rendering good service. They are industrious and capable and would 
undoubtedly make their instruction still more effective if better facili- 
ties for work were provided. Charts, microscopes, cases for speci- 
mens and notebooks are provided. The rooms used are given up to 
teachers of other subjects in the evening school, thus making it 
impossible to leave any incompleted experimental work on the tables 
or desks from day to day. The laboratory tables are not modern, 
and the facilities for the study and care of living animals are not 
adequate. Accordingly it is suggested that as soon as possible more 
room be provided so that the rooms assigned for biology classes 
may be devoted wholly to their interest, that modern laboratoiy 
tables be purchased, that aquariums, cages and a miniature green- 
house l)e furnished and that more common things, such as samples of 
various kinds of seeds put up in small bottles and of different kinds 
of dry fruits, be placed in the museum. If these things are made 
available, the teachers will be able to create greater interest in the 
subject and in the minds of their pupils and correspondingly better 
educational results will be secured. 

In addition to the regular full course in biology, instruction is given 
during the spring term by the teachers of general science in the part 
of this course devoted to life study. In regard to this work it may 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 107 

be said that the teachers labor under the same handicaps that the 
teachers of biology do. 

This part of the general science course is taken by about 90 pupils, 
instructed in four sections for five ])eriods weekly. Each of the two 
teachers of general science has charge of two sections. About 13 
weeks are usually devoted to the work. 

In giving the instruction in addition to assignments of lessons from 
the text, lal)oratory demonstrations are given by the teacher and some 
experimental work is done by groups of pupils and by individuals. 
Each pupil records in a notebook the result of observations of phe- 
nomena he may see. The topics are taught with about the same 
degree of efficiency as in other schools that have taken up this course. 

Although some of the apparatus and material needed for this work 
may be borrowed from the biology department it will not be possible 
to use its laboratories ; it is therefore suggested that tables be pro- 
vided in sufficient numbers so that pupils may work in groups of 
four. The tables used for physics may of course be used when avail- 
able. It is also desirable that home projects be encouraged. 

It is further suggested that both in biology and general science 
classes there be more systematic effort to correlate the instruction 
with the composition exercises of the department of English. There 
are many biologic topics that are excellent subjects for both oral 
and written work in English ; for example, the necessity of wild bird 
protection, the need for the destruction of insect pests or the con- 
servation of our food fishes. These are admirable topics of a prac- 
tical nature. 

In general it may be said that the teaching of biologic science with 
the present staff of instructors may readily be made to compare 
favorably with the same kind of work in the best schools by provid- 
ing the teachers with all the room, apparatus and facilities needed 
for first-class instruction. 

Physical and Earth Science 
The work in physical and earth science in the Niagara Falls High 
School at the present time includes physics, chemistry, applied chem- 
istry, general science and physical geography. 

Instruction in these branches is given by two men and one woman. 
All three of these teachers are college graduates with successful ex- 
perience in teaching high school science. 



lOH 



■iiii'. iiNivia<snY oi' III I', STAii': oi' npiw \u\<k 



Tlic work ol c.K Ii ol llicsc li'.K Iicis was visilcd. < )iic man U-achcs 
(luMiiislry, applied (liciiiisliy, j^;ciicral science and pliysicil ^coj^rapliy. 
TIlc olIuM man has i;<iieral science and physics. Tlic woman has 
I'hysical K*'"m' •'!'''> •'"'*' pliysii s. In iM'iieral, il appeared that the 
teacliiTS were well infoiined in snhjecl mallei and that they used 
ap|)r()ve(l iiicIIkkIs ol iiisl riicl ion. The lahoraloi ies are fairly lilted 
and fniiiished. tIioiij;h a somewhat more liheial use of funds in this 
direction wotiM render the elToits of teachers and pupils more 
ericclive. 

I'loiii the ohservalioiis made the impression remained that the 
work in physical j4('o;;rapliy was not so stroiij; as that in the oilier 
suhjects. 

I'h\sics is studied hy 'M pupils in four sections, chemistry hy 24 
ill one si'clion, applied chemislry hy JJ in one section, physical 
«;eo';rapli\' l>\' 7() in three sections and jm'iieral science also hy 7() in 
three sections. The entire rei^islratioii oi the school was j^iven as 
K()(). 'The followiii'; t ihle. showiii.t; the per cent of hi.'di school ])Ui)ils 
in each science, prepared I rom these data and like data' for the en - 
t ire State, is ol interest : 



'rAiii.i'; 15 



Al.i.li.MJ 
r!,rnii:,l,y 



CrIK'l.ll 



riiv.i.-.i! 

I'luilic'.S ("llcMllislly rllrlllll.ll y ( lro|; I .1 |illy :.ci(llc<' 

I or.il Sliitf l.iHitl Sliilr Local Stale Local Slat,- Local Stale 

10. ss d.i'' .;.'/"' .i..!.i j..''i.s ..if 11. HI ,;./'/' m.hi ..is 



I'loiii the aho\c it is ohsi'i \('d thai this school excei'ds tlie SlaU' in 
the per cent ol piijjils pmsiiint; each ol these snhjecis with the sin'_;le 
e.sci'plioii ol (heinistiN, hut il the (Iiemisti\' and the applied chem- 
istry are !;roiiped, we lind the local per cent to he 5..v| ;is contrasted 
with S.'/\ for the .S|;ile. Il is of interest fnilher to note that a total 
ol ,>,v<) per ( cnt ol the pupils ol this school .are pinsninj; these siih 
ji'Cts as conliasU'd with l.vOJ |)er ci'iit lor the Slali'. 



IhawliKi and hulitslLhtl .his 

Throut^hout the sihool system in connection with the work in 
drawing and industrial arts tliert' was found an excelU-nt si)irit of 
cooperation existing hetwei'ii teachers and their snpt'r\isiii<; ollicers 
and hi'twi'eu hoth the li'achers and supervisors and the su|iei iiilendent 
of schools. 



' For yo.'tr iinIiiHV Innc M), I'MK. 



KICI'ORT ()|- TIIIC NI\(;AKA TALLS SCIlOOr. SYSriCM 109 

111 sonic respects the art work seems to be largely cultural, for the 
sake of appreciation, the courses being planned for the student body 
as a whole. No opportunity is offered in high school for the talented 
pupil to continue his art training in advanced special courses. With 
the exception of the vocational work, even the industrial work is 
organized along cultural lines. ( )])p()rtnnity is offered, however, 
for the high school boys to elect advanced courses which should be 
of considerable value to them in broadening their industrial horizon 
.•nid in preparing thcni to enter engineering schools. 

Out of the 965 high school i)Ui)ils registered, but 100 are taking 
the art courses which include elementary representation, elementary 
design and inlcrmediate drawing only. 

There are 127 pupils registered in the mechanical drawing courses, 
which include elementary mechanical drawing as outlined in the 
secondary .syllabus, mechanical drawing 2 or intersections and de- 
veloi)ment of surfaces, a course which is intimately correlated with 
the sheet metal work, mechanical drawing 3 or machine drawing. 
The largest class in mechanical drawing contains 27 and the smallest 
class 1 pupil. The same irregular scheduling of pupils obtains in the 
mechanical as in the freehand drawing. To a les.ser degree it affects 
the shop work also. 

The shoj) courses offered in the high school are as follows : ( 1 ) car- 
pentry and joinery, wood turning, (2) elementary and advanced sheet 
metal, (3) cabinetmaking. 

The courses in elementary representation, elementary design and 
intermediate drawing follow very closely the recommendations in the 
syllabus. The following plates are made in elementary representa- 
tion : 

1 ("ylinders 

2-3 Cups with handles 

4-5 Pitchers giving attention to handles and si)outs 

6 Plant jars 

7 Plant jars grouped in vertical and horizontal ])ositions 

8 Funnel, can and bottle, grouped 

9 Parallel and angular persjjective, boxes and books 

10 (iron]) of books, angular and parallel perspective 

1 1 lierry basUels separately .and in gnjups 

12 I jerry ba.skets 

13 I'uilding, in angular persi)ective 

14 (jroujjs— box, bottle, small dish 
15-16 Group of pottery forms 



110 Till'; uNiVKUsriY ok tiik staii'; oi' ni:w york 

17 I'lant and flower forms, in peiuil 

18 Plant and (Iowcm- forms, in crayola 

I'lic intcnucdiak' drawinj^ ontlinc is similar to the outline j^iven 
above except that the projects si)ecilied are more (hHicnh. I-i^ht and 
shade is included in this course. 

Tlie design course inchides the niakinii; of portfohos, designing for 
tucks and emhroidery patterns, desij^nini; of a shirt waist, designing 
of an emhlem or a design for braid (in color), designing of a winter 
dress for school or business and an afternoon <h'ess. The choice of 
a hnal i)roject is left to the pn]»il. It is intended to correlate this 
course with the home economics course in sewing. Roys electing 
to take the design course are allowed lo design posters for sciiool 
and couHiiunity use and to work out ollici- |)r(»blems in applie(l 
design. 

First ye.ar mechanical drawing aims to give the pupil a thorough 
grounding in the principles of i)rojection and to enable him to letter 
attractively as well as to draw accurately the working drawings 
recjuired in the shop. The ])rinciples involved are those set forth 
in the syllabus. Time de\'oted : 40 weeks, .S pciiods a week, 45 
minutes a period. 

Second year mech;mical drawing aims {a) to gi\i' the pupil a 
thorough knowledge of the layout of sheet metal construction. (In 
the drawing room he must solve tin- identical problems that ])resent 
themselves in the shop.) (1>) To continue the solving of problems 
in working drawings more advanced in character. (This involves 
drafting room practice recpiiring the making of original drawings, 
tracing and blue ])rinting.) (c) To enable the pupil, through prac- 
tice, to make use of mechanical drawing as a means of expression 
in the various industrial lines, 'i'ime devoted to subject: 40 weeks. 
2 periods a week, 45 minutes a period. 

Third year mechanical drawing ainis to carry through to a still 
more advanced ]4.'uie of ap])reciati()n and skill the principles involved 
in the two ])receding courses. '\hv course aims to e(|nip young men 
t(> enter the local drafting rooms as beginners, l^mpbasis is iilaix'd 
e.specially on machine drawing. Time de\()ted to subjc-cl : 40 wi-eks, 
?. ])eriods a week, 45 minutes a ])erio(l. 

b'irst year shop, carpenliv and joinery, (a half-year lonrse ) aims 
to teach the fundamental princi])les underlying joinery and house 
construction. Considerable elementary cabinet work is done, some 
being for the school svstem. The cl.-'.ss is at present making draw- 
ing tables for use in the gr.ammar schools. Details or small sections 
of house construction are built as well as some large work done to 




ANNUAL SCHOOL EXHIBIT IN STATE ARMOKY 

A partial view. Machine shop department 





ANNUAL SCHOOL EXHIBIT IN STATE ARMORY 

A partial view. Drawing and industrial arts 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 111 

a reduced scale. A study is made of the industries involved. Time 
devoted to subject: 20 weeks, 4 periods a week, 45 minutes a period. 

First year shop, wood turning, (half-year course). The second 
half of the first year is given over to wood turning and such projects 
as chisel and file handles are made for the school shops. As a final 
project each pupil is allowed to turn for himself a lamp shaft or 
similar article. 

Second year shop, sheet metal, (half-year course). This course 
aims to teach the pupil the fundamentals of sheet metal working. 
Water pails and other useful articles are made for the schools. An 
attempt is made to include considerable subject matter in the course. 
This includes the theory governing the new operations. 

Second year shop, advanced sheet metal, (half-year course). Car- 
ries on the instruction offered in the more elementary course preced- 
ing. It places more emphasis on the drafting of patterns. Larger 
projects, such as ash cans and camp stoves, are constructed. Time 
devoted to subject: 20 weeks, 4 periods a week, 45 minutes a period. 

Third year shop, cabinetmaking, is planned to acquaint the pupils 
with a few of the best methods of furniture construction. Emphasis 
is placed upon design. Considerable work is done on the machines. 
The pupil is allowed to .spend one-third of his time on an individual 
piece of furniture which he is allowed to take home upon paying 
for the material used. The projects must be other than mission in 
design. A brief study of the period styles, Louis XIII, Chippendale, 
Sheraton, colonial etc., is carried on in connection with the making 
of pieces of furniture. Such projects as tables, chairs and phono- 
graph cases are constructed. Time devoted to subject: 40 weeks, 
6 periods a week, 45 minutes a period. 

The unit trade school is organized on a high school basis, eighth 
grade graduation being required for entrance. Two men are em- 
ployed full time as instructors, a machine shop teacher and a teacher 
of related drawing, mathematics and English. Men engaged as fore- 
men and superintendents in local plants are invited to talk to the 
boys during the assembly period, which is held for 45 minutes every 
other week. The organization of this school is not complete enough 
to be examined at this time as a scJiool. What is being done is prac- 
tical and the work is being well organi:zed. 

Trade School Courses 

The vocational industrial work is well described by the director of 
this work, William J. Small, in the paragraphs which follow : 

" Last fall we opened a vocational machine shop course with 30 
boys in attendance. This course promises to be the beginning of an 



112 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

extensive vocational program for our city. Next year we are plan- 
ning to instal an advanced machine shop and an elementary electrical 
shop with approximately 90 boys in attendance. 

" We have established an entrance reciuirement of eighth grade 
graduation for all these classes and find by doing this we get a more 
uniform group. 

" The shop work is of a productive nature and no abstract exercise 
work is given. The elementary machine shop work consists of small 
tools and work done for the school department. Two grinders, vises, 
metal bench standards have been constructed this year. Several 
observation trips have been made to nearby industrial establishments 
to give the pupils an idea of production methods. 

" The English work corresponds to that of first year high school 
with the exception that instead of reading all the required classics, 
books relating to mechanical work are substituted. Our trips are 
made the basis of both oral and written composition. Technical 
subjects as ' The Open Hearth Process ' and ' The Bessemer Pro- 
cess ' are especially interesting as composition work for this group. 

" The mathematics is closely correlated and function with the daily 
work of the shop. A few practical problems in the applications of 
algebra, geometry and trigonometry are given. 

'* The drawing is tied up with the shop and about one period in 
five is devoted to shop sketching. All the problems made in the shop 
are worked out in the drawing room. 

" Next year related science for the elementary class and industrial 
history for the advanced class will be added. 

" A serious attempt is being made in the new trade school to carry 
out the recommendations of the report of the industrial education 
survey made by the Division of Agricultural and Industrial Educa- 
tion during the summer of 1919."^ 

Evening Schools 

The following courses were offered during the evening school 
period of 1919-20 being taught by instructors as described below :-' 

A round table course for chemists (a chemist in industry). 

Two cabinetmaking courses (men from the schools). 

Two mechanical drawing courses (men from the schools). 

Drawing and estimating for carpenters and builders (an architect 
in the city). 



1 See chapter 13, Industrial Education Survey. 

2 None of these classes was in session at the time this survey was made. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 113 

Mathematics for tradesmen (m.an from the schools). 
Electrical work, wiring and theory (foreman in United States 
Light and Heat Company). 

Telegraphy (Western Union operator). 

General chemistry (a chemist from industry). 

Industrial chemistry (a chemist from industry). 

Two automobile repair courses (garage men). 

House framing (journeyman at trade). 

Machine shop (a machinist). 

Related drawing and mathematics for machinists (an engineer). 

Summary 

The Niagara Falls High School occupies a very attractive site near 
the center of the city. It is a comparatively modern building, its 
present inadequacy being due to the rapid increase in high school 
population and to the greatly increased demands on the secondary 
field. 

The average daily attendance in the high school during the past 
10 years has increased 57 per cent. This is somewhat less than the 
percentage of increase in the elementary schools during the same 
period. The increase during the period of the World War was not 
marked. This situation in the Niagara Falls High School is much 
the same as that found in other high schools during the same period. 
The appeal from the industrial field due to the unusual wages for 
services aft'ected high school registration very generally in the indus- 
trial centers. 

The pupil registration per teacher shows that the school is not over- 
organized and that the number of pupils to a teacher is somewhat 
larger than is found in many high schools. 

There are six general courses of instruction in the high school: 
college entrance, scientific, normal or teacher training, household 
arts, industrial and manual arts, and commercial. 

The household arts and manual arts courses have attracted rela- 
tively a small proportion of th'e student body. This has been due in 
part possibly to the lack of needed space and equipment. The small 
number in the teacher-training course is due to a general situation, 
economic in character, and related also to the salaries paid for teach- 
ing service. 

The instruction in the various subjects in the high school is gen- 
erally good and in some instances superior. Certain limitations upon 
the effectiveness of the work are due to crov.-ded conditions. These 
will be eliminated when the new building program is under way. 



114 TllK UN'IVKKSITY Ol' THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

The general summary of the conditions as observed in the class- 
rooms indicates the need for some more definite organization, the 
advantages of departmental heads heing emphasized by several of 
the specialists. 

It w^as observed that in some instances teachers were not specially 
trained for the work which they were called upon to do. The work 
in English was somewhat uneven where the instruction was given by 
teachers whose major interest was in other subjects. Three hundred 
twenty-two out of 846 pupils were enrolled in Latin. The work in 
this subject was reasonably strong except in the first year classes. 

The present program provides for tlie following classes in history : 
ancient history, modern history, American history, community civics, 
economics and commercial geography. The work is in a transition 
stage but much of the work observed was strong. The equipment 
in maps and charts was reasonably complete but might be strength- 
ened if special rooms with equipment as a dei)artment for this work 
were fitted up. 'J"he work in mathematics is so arranged that each 
teacher has generally one free period each day. Classes range from 
15 to 20 enabling the teacher readily to keep in touch with the indi- 
vidual needs of the pupils. 

The work in science includes biology and general science, physics 
and chemistry, ai)plied chemistry, and physical geography. As this 
work develops it is being related more and more to the needs of the 
locality in connection with which there is an unusual opportunity at 
Niagara Falls. 

The work in drawing and industrial arts includes elementary rep- 
resentation, elementary design, intermediate drawing, mechanical 
drawing with advanced courses, carpentry and joinery, cabinetmak- 
iiig, wood turning, sheet metal, advanced sheet metal, in addition to 
the vocational and trade school courses. This work is rapidly meet- 
ing local needs and conditions. A serious attempt is being made -in 
the trade school to carry out the recommendations of the report of 
llie industrial education survey. 

In the plans that are under way for the development of the school 
program, wise provision is being made for additional high school 
facilities which will give Niagara Falls the best type of cosmopolitan 
high school which is generally recognized as offering the best type 
of high school training. The local school authorities and the city as 
a whole are to be commended for the larger opportunities that are to 
be provided in the plans that are under way for the development of 
the high school unit. 



REPORT OF THK NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 115 

When the new school program now under way is adopted, Niagara 
Falls will have not only a very superior elementary and intermediate 
school plant but will have secondary high school opportunities and 
a reorganized secondary school program which is second to none in 
the cities of its class in the country. 



116 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



THE MEASUREMENT OF PUPIL ACHIEVEMENT 

A school system exists in order that children may achieve infor- 
mation, skills and ideals that will be of value to them and to society. 
The school plant, equipment and supplies, the organization of the 
school, the training and qualifications of teachers, the methods of 
supervision, the courses of study — all of these are but means toward 
the chief end or aim of the school, that is, pupil achievement. The 
measurement, then, of the achievement of pupils becomes the central 
and most important part of any survey or judgment of a school sys- 
tem. This statement is particularly true when the results of the 
measurement are made available to the officers and teachers of the 
school system so that they may use the data in revising and improv- 
ing where needed their whole scheme of instructional activity. 

Educational Tests and Scales 

During the past 20 years, the most notable advance in education 
has been the ideal and practice of scientifically measuring the result 
of classroom teaching. The first educational scale was published 
about 1908; since that date, the development has been so rapid that 
there are now more than two hundred scales or tests available for 
measuring pupil ability and achievement. A number of these have 
been so carefully constructed and so widely used that their results 
are quite reliable for judging the success of a school system, a 
school, a class and in some respects even the individual child. 

How Educational Tests Differ from the Ordinary School 

Examination 

1 The educational test is constructed from materials that are most 
generally conceded to be essential for instructional purposes. 

2 The standards set up to be attained are, as a rule, based upon 
the actual achievement obtained by thousands of pupils in many 
dififerent school systems. 

3 Rules for administering the tests are so carefully prepared that 
teachers and principals or examiners, working in widely separated 
localities, can be assured that, by following the directions, all pupils 
will have exactly the same opportunity so far as any instructions are 
concerned. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 117 

4 Explicit rules are laid clown for scoring the tests, so that gross 
differences of opinion as to what answer should be accepted as 
correct are eliminated. 

The Value of Educational Tests for Measuring School 
Achievement 

By using tests that are constructed from material that is generally- 
accepted as essential in the courses of study of all school systems, 
by having directions for administering these tests worded very ex- 
pHcitly, so that all who use the test will give exactly the same instruc- 
tions, and by having very concise and definite rules for scoring the 
test, it is possible to compare the scores for grades and classes in any 
city with the scores obtained by the same grades in any other school 
system. 

The superintendent, principal and teacher can see: 

1 How their own system compares with the school systems of 
other cities. 

2 How the different schools within their city system compare one 
with another. 

3 How each class compares with other classes in the same school 
or school system. 

4 In addition to this, the classroom teacher will have a fairly 
definite score or rating of each individual pupil in her class. 

Phases of Pupil Achievement Measured in Niagara Falls Survey 

The time and clerical work at its disposal did not permit the survey 
committee to undertake a testing proj^ram that would evaluate phases 
of all subjects or achievement of pupils in all grades. It was deemed 
advisable to center on a few subjects that are generally considered 
to be the basic or most essential subjects in the public school. The 
subjects tested were spelling, composition, language, writing, arith- 
metic and silent reading. It should also be kept in mind that these 
educational tests measure only certain phases of the subjects tested. 
For example, the silent reading test used measures the rate or speed 
wnth which children read, and their ability to comprehend or under- 
stand the printed page ; but it does not measure their ability to read 
orally. Likewise, the arithmetic scale measures children's ability to 
add and subtract, multiply and divide through common and decimal 
fractions. United States money and denominate numbers but the 
scales used do not measure the pupils' ability to reason in arithmetic 
or their skill in solving problems in such important subject matter 
as interest or percentage. In the discussion of the results of the 



118 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

various tests more attention will be given to the special phases of 
school work that these tests do measure. 

Statistical Terms 



••• 
••• 



••• 
••• 

••• 



2 4- 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 ZO 

Figure 3 — Illustration of the median or class score 

The data of figure 3 illustrate a few terms that will be used fre- 
quently in this report. The line represents an arithmetic subtraction 
scale. The scale contains 20 problems and may be thought of as a 
measuring rule 20 units in length. In this case it was used to measure 
the ability in subtraction of a class of 30 pupils. Seven pupils solved 
15 problems correctly or measured 15 on the scale; 10 solved 14; 
eight, 13; three, 12; one, 11 ; and one, 9 problems. The class score 
is that point on the scale which divides the class group into two equal 
parts ; that is, the point above which one-half of the class scored, and 
below which the other half scored. This mid-point is called the 
median; and in this case is 14.2, which means that half the class 
scored more than 14.2 and the other half scored less than 14.2. 

The standard score, unless otherwise defined, is the score that a 
class should obtain. The median_ score achieved by thousands of 
pupils of a given grade from schools of many different cities and 
states is usually accepted as the standard score for a given grade. 
Where a different meaning is given to any of these terms, an explana- 
tion will be given in the text. Other statistical terms will be defined 
in footnotes. 

Administration of Tests 

There was a threefold purpose in administering the tests: (1) to" 
gain a reliable measure of the schools' ability in fundamental sub- 
jects; (2) to secure data that would be of use to teachers and super- 
visory officers in improving the work of the schools; (3) to give 
principals, supervisors and teachers such experience in the method 
and procedure of testing as would enal)le them to use educational 
tests later in their regular work. 

Following the directions of the survey committee, classroom 
teachers in grades 3-9 administered the tests in spelling and hand- 
writing and high school teachers administered the reading and lan- 
guage tests to ninth grade pupils. With the exception of the spelling 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 119 

and handwriting, before tests were given the members of the survey 
committee met with the principals and supervisors to outline and 
consider the entire program. At this meeting it was agreed that the 
principal should observe the members of the committee in giving each 
of the several tests and where feasible the principal should test one 
or two classes under the direction of the committee members. Mem- 
bers of the committee gave the group intelligence tests to all pupils 
tested and the tests in composition, silent reading, language, addition 
and multiplication to all classes of the sixth, seventh and eighth 
grades, and to at least one section of each of the third, fourth and 
fifth grades in every building. Where there was more than one sec- 
tion of third, fourth and fifth grade pupils in a building to be tested, 
the principal gave tlie tests to a part of the classes. In addition, prin- 
cipals administered the subtraction and division tests to all classes 
tested. 

Scoring the Papers 

Following the directions submitted by the survey committee, teach- 
ers scored all the spelling papers and the rate of the handwriting. 
The quality of the handwriting and the quality of composition was 
scored by teachers and supervisors in a meeting with members of the 
committee. In the scoring of both of these tests, teachers were 
divided into teams of three. Eadi teacher scored the paper and 
recorded her score on the back. The median of these three scores 
obtained independently was taken as a final rating of the paper. Sub- 
traction and division tests were scored by teachers and principals. 
Later, the scoring of spelling and composition was checked carefully 
by members of the survey committee. All other papers were scored 
under the direction of the committee. 

The detailed method of scoring papers, checking results, and 
analyzing the data will be explained in the following pages under 
the discussion of the results obtained by the testing of each subject. 

Spelling 

Choice of Words for the Test 
The words chosen for the survey of spelling ability were selected 
from the Buckingham extension of the Ayres spelling scale. The 
original part of this scale consists of 1000 words most commonly 
used in English writing. The Buckingham extension of the scale 
consists of 500 words added to the upper or more difficult part of 
the scale. These latter words were selected primarily " according to 
agreements among spelling books." All the words used to test the 



120 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

third to seventh grades, inckisive, were taken from the original 
Ayres hst. Eight of the eighth grade Hst and eighteen of the ninth 
grade hst are from the Buckingham extension of the scale. The 
words used to test grades 3-6 are the same as those used in the 
Cleveland and Gary surveys. The entire list is contained in table 16. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 121 






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122 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Grade Standards 
The midyear standard is the average score made hy the children 
of 84 cities. The words were selected so that this midyear standard 
would he 7v3 for each grade. This means that if each grade had heen 
tested with this list of words on January 30, 1921, the average for 
the grade should have heen 7^. If the same pupils had been tested 
with the same words at midyear 1920, the average should have been 
50 for third and fourth grades and 58 for grades above the fourth 
Since Niagara Falls pupils were tested in October it was necessary 
to derive from the scale values the approximate standard for each 
grade in October. These approximate standards are 65 for the third 
and fourth and 08 for the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth 
grades.^ 

Scoring and Checking of Spelling 
Members of the survey staff or their assistants checked the teach- 
ers' marking of the spelling papers as follows : every fifth paper 
was read and if any errors were discovered in the marking of papers 
then the entire set was rechecked by a member of the staff. The cal- 
culation of the class average or class score was checked for each set 
of papers. 

Where there were two or more sections of a grade in a building, 
these scores were combined and treated as if they constituted one 
class in order to obtain the grade scores for the building. Table 17 
shows the grade scores for each building of the Niagara Falls school 
system. In studying this table it should be kept in mind that if these 
pupils had been tested at midyear they should have scored at least 
7?i per cent for each grade and that the standard they should have 
obtained in October was 65 per cent for grades ?> and 4 and 68 per 
cent for each grade above the fourth. 



1 For method of determining October scale values, see " Measuring the Woric 
of the Public Schools," Cleveland Survey Report, p. 243-44. 



report ok the niagara falls school system 123 

Table 17 
Spelling report by grades and schools 

Givin? the average score made in spellinp; by each grade in each of the fourteen ele- 
mentary schools, the vocational school and the first year of hiph school, and the average 
score for each grade of the city; also, showing how the Niagara Falls schools compared with 
the spelling standards from other city school systems. 

Scores by Grades 

School 3d Ith 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 

Ashland 56 49 61 75 

Center 60 53 56 69 

Cleveland 68 52 5,? 72 66 68 

Ferry 45 34 58 69 

Fifth 55 42 69 81 68 73 

High .. .. .. . . . . .. 59 

Maple 44 49 68 81 

Niagara 52 41 60 79 77 65 

Su':;ar 60 43 64 72 

Tenth 52 51 62 84 64 

Third 61 47 76 77 

Thirteenth 50 ^7 62 76 

Twenty-fourth 58 44 53 81 62 56 

Twent -second 51 SO 51 72 66 

Whitney 48 50 60 68 

Vocational . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 

Average 54 46 60 75 68 69 

Approximate grade standards 

for October 65 65 68 68 68 68 68 

A study of tabic 17 shows a considerable differelice in spelling 
ability between schools. This is illustrated by the following data : 
the third grade in Maple Street School scored 44 and in Cleveland 
Avenue School 68 ; the fourth grade of Ferry Street School scored 
34 and of Center Street School 53; the fifth grade of Twenty-second 
Street School scored 51 and of the Third Street School scored 76; 
the sixth grade of Whitney Avenue School scored 68 and of Tenth 
Street School 84. 

The average ability of schools ranges from 50;^ to 64j^, or a differ- 
ence of 14 per cent. One naturally must ask the question as to why 
this wide difference in results between pupils of the same grade in 
different school buildings, and between buildings or schools in the 
same city. Similar results are found in practically all the tests that 
were given. This report endeavors to throw some light on the 
answer to this question but it remains for principals, teachers and 
supervisory officers to give the final answer. 

Another interesting fact from the table lies in the wide difference 
of achievement between grades. The achievement in each grade 
should be practically the same. Yet we find the average for the third 
grade 54 while the fourth grade averages only 46. The sixth grade 
scores considerably above the standard, reaching the high point of 
75, while the seventh and eighth grades drop back to 68 and 69 
respectively. The lowest sixth grade score is equal to the highest 
third grade score and is 13 points higher than the highest fourth 
grade score. This difference may be due in part to the fact that the 



124 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

measurement is based upon a small number of words and that the 
words may not be included in the curriculums for the different grades. 
Principals and teachers will find it profitable to test these same grades 
with other lists of words selected from well-standardized scales and 
so determine whether or not the fifth and sixth grades have received 
more attention in the study of spelling than have the two lower 
grades. 

Table 18 
Spelling scores 

Showing how the Niagara Falls schools compared in spelling ability with the schools of 

other cities 

City school Dale Average score attained in grade 

system tested 3 4 5 6 7 S 9 Average 

Niagara Falls Oct. 54 46 60 75 68 69 68 62.8 

Elmira^ Oct. 50 50 61 70 67 76 58 61.7 

Whitehall! Nov. 66 55 57 72 72, 81 .. 67.3 

Saratoga- Nov. 64 65 68 79 71 83 .. 71.7 

Cleveland- May 78 73 75 78 76 80 .. 76.7 

Gary2 May 56 53 51 58 62 43 .. 55.5 



Midyear standard^ 73 7i 73 73 73 73 73 73 

Table 18 shows how Niagara Falls compares with three other New 
'V^ork cities that were tested with the same list of words and with 
the Cleveland and Gary schools which were tested, in the main, with 
the same words. The table also shows in which months of the 
school year the respective schools were examined. If deductions 
were made from the Cleveland and Gary results to allow for the 
gain in achievement from October to May, the achievement of the 
Cleveland schools would still be above that of Niagara Falls. Since 
there was approximately a month's difference between the testing 
of Niagara Falls and the Whitehall and Saratoga testing, it is doubt- 
ful if any material allowance should be made for the higher rating 
of the two latter systems. The table then shows that Niagara Falls 
ranks fourth among these places in the spelling achievement of 
grades 3-8 inclusive. 

Summary 
Taking the school system as a whole, the spelling ability of pupils 
in Niagara Falls falls below the standard that should be expected. 
The chief deficiency is in the lower grades, which points to the fact 
that the spelling curriculum of these grades is either not wisely 
selected, that enough time is not given to spelling, or that the methods 
of teaching in these lower grades are insufficient. The records indi- 



^ From unpublished reports made by State Education Department, New^ York. 

^ From "The Gary Public Schools. Measurement of Classroom Products," p. 82. 

^This midyear standard for grades 3-7 is the average score obtained by the school 
children of 84 cities as, given on the Ay res scale; for grades 8 and 9 it is the standard 
given on the Buckingham extension of the Ayres scale. 








MAPLE AVENUE SCHOOL 

A modern elementary school building under construction 




ASHLAND AVENUE SCHOOL 

Kindergarten and first six grades 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 125 

cate, that beginning with the fifth grade, the Niagara Falls schools 
achieved as much in spelhng as the average of city schools through- 
out the country. 

Reading 

No attempt was made to test oral reading, because the greater part 
of reading that is done in life is silent reading. Children's success 
in practically all school subjects depends upon their ability to read 
rapidly and to comprehend the meaning of what they read. In order 
to secure a measure of the success with which the Niagara Falls 
schools are teaching children in these two important phases of read- 
ing, all pupils in grades 3 to 9 inclusive were tested with the Monroe 
standardized silent reading test, form 1. This test consists of three 
parts : test 1 for grades 3, 4 and 5 ; test 2 for grades 6, 7 and 8 ; test 
3 for grades 9, 10, 11 and 12. 

The same directions, however, are given to all pupils; these direc- 
tions are printed on the first page of the test booklet and are read 
together by examiner and pupils. The following quotation from the 
test booklet indicates the nature of these instructions : 

Directions for Giving the Test 
After telling the children not to open the papers, ask the children on the 
front seats to distribute the papers, placing one upon the desk of each pupil in 
the class. Have each child fill in the blank space at the top of this page. 
Then make clear the following : 

Instructions to Be Read by Teacher and Pupils Together 
This brief test is given to see how quickly and accurately pupils can read 
silently. To show what sort of test it is, let us read this : 

I am a little dark-skinned girl. I wear a slip 
of brown buckskin and a pair of soft moccasins. 
I live in a wigwam. What kind of a girl do you 
think I am? 

Chinese French Indian African Eskimo 

The answer to this exercise is " Indian " and it is to be indicated by drawing 
a line under the word. The test consists of a number of exercises like this 
one. In some of the exercises you are told to draw a line under the word 
which is the right answer or to mark it in some other way, and in some you 
are to write out your answer. If an exercise is wrong it will not count, so 
it is wise to study each one carefully until you know exactly what you are 
asked to do. The number of exercises which you can finish thus in five 
minutes will make your score, so do them as fast as you can, being sure to do 
them right. Stop at once when time is called. Do not open the papers until 
told, so that all may begin at the same time. 



126 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

The nature of the test is further iUustrated by the following 
extracts, which are the second questions on the respective parts or 
tests : 

Test 1 for Grades 3, 4 and 5 
No. 2 
The little Pilgrim girls carried their workboxes 
to the dame-schools and learned to sew and knit as 
well as to read and write. 

Where did the girls go with their workboxes? 

To the ' 

Test 2 for Grades 6, 7 and 8 
No. 2 
At evening when 1 go to bed 
I see the stars shine overhead; 
They are the little daisies white 
That dot the meadow of the night. 
What are the little white daisies of the night? 



Test 3 for High School 
No. 2 
The tighter a wire is stretched the higher the tone produced 
when the wire is struck. Two wires are stretched, one with a 
fourteen-pound weight pulling on it and another with a ten-pound 
weight pulling on it. Which wire will produce the higher tone, 
the former or the latter? 



Reasons for Using tlic Monroe Silent Reading Test 

a The test requires less than 10 minutes for giving instructions 
and for pupils' writing. 

h The directions are printed on each copy of the test and the pupils 
read them with the examiner ; this eliminates the variation that too 
often accomi)anies the giving of oral instrttctions by different people. 

c The correct answers are brief and the papers are easily scored. 
Any teacher who follows the printed directions carefully can score 
the papers. 

d There are three forms of the test: a school may test the ability 
of its pupils in silent reading, two or three times each year without 
using the same questions a second time. The three forms are ap- 
proximately of equal difficulty ; that is, a child should make about 
the same score on each of the three forms of the test. 

e The test gives a measure of two important phases of silent read- 
ing: (1) the speed with which children read silently, and (2) their 
ability to comprehend what they read. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 



127 



Scoring the Papers 

In scoring the papers, the directions and answers given on the class 
record sheets were used with the following interpretations : 

a If an answer was written out as a complete sentence, it was 
considered correct. 

& If qualifying words were added to the correct answer it was 
usually accepted. 

c Words to be underscored or indicated in some other way which 
were marked in the paragraph rather than in the list below were 
accepted. 

d li there seemed good reason to believe that a pupil had skipped 
several paragraphs without reading them, he was given a rate score 
equivalent only to the sum of the rate scores of the paragraphs which 
he had actually attempted to answer. 

Method of Finding Grade Scores 
To find class scores given in table 19, the directions given on the 
class record sheet were followed. The grade scores for each build- 
ing were obtained by combining all papers of the different classes 
of that grade for the building and finding the medians by the ordinary 
method. Grade scores for the city at large were obtained in a differ- 
ent way, namely, by finding the median of the class medians of all 
the classes of each grade in the school system. By the median score 
we mean the score above which there are as many scores as there 
are below it. 



Table 19 
Grade scores, Monroe silent reading test 

Showing the score made by each grade of each building and the median of these class 
scores for each grade of the city system; also, showing the midyear standard scores 



School 



3d 
R C 



Ashland 36 

Center 40 

Cleveland 48 

Ferry 22 

Fifth 54 

Maple 22 

Niagara 

Sugar 44 

Tenth 44 

Third 44 

Thirteenth 39 

Twenty-fourth . ii 

Twenty-second . 22 

Whitney 37 

Median of class 
scores, or 

grade - scores 
for Niagara 

Falls 

Midyear 

standards 



4th 



R 

45 
80 
59 
54 
59 
54 
54 
82 
67 
67 
70 
60 
59 
68 



c 

5 

9 

8 

5 

7 

9 

5 
11 

8 
10 

7 

7 

8.5 

9 



5th 
R C 



84 
87 
84 
67 
79 
67 
82 
106 
68 
98 
76 
70 
67 
87 



14 
13 
12 
10 

13.5 
13 
11 
18 
11 
'16 
12 
11 
11 
13 



6th 
R C 



83 
83 
90 
69 
87 
81 
81 
54 



18 

16 

17 

13 

17 

14.5 

13 

13 



7th 



84 17.5 
84 i9" 



64 14 



8th 
R C 



86 20 

84 26' 




44 3.8 69 8.6 



12.9 90 15.5 83 16.5 89 18.9 
52 6.8 70 12.7 87 17.8 90 18.5 100 22.8 106 26.0 



128 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Niagara Falls Silent Reading Scores 

The midyear standard scores of table 19 are based on the achieve- 
ment of 130,000 pupils. In studying the comparison of Niagara 
Falls scores with these standards two things should be kept in mind : 
(1) Niagara Falls pupils were tested about the middle of October 
rather than at midyear; (2) the results obtained in grades 3, 4 and 5 
can not be compared with those obtained from different test material 
in grades 6, 7 and 8 nor the latter results with those obtained from 
use of the high school test. 

Two scores are given in table 19 for each grade of each school: 
the first, in the R column is the measure of the rate or speed of 
silent reading ; the second, or C, column is the measure of the ability 
of the pupils of the respective grades to comprehend the meaning of 
the printed paragraphs in the test booklets. 

The rate or speed scores of Niagara Falls grades 5 and 6 are ap- 
proximately equal to the standard midyear scores; but the rate 
scores for grades 4, 3, 7 and 8 range from 3 points to 17 points 
below the midyear standards. The comprehension scores of Niagara 
Falls range from 3 points in the third grade to 7.1 points in the 
eighth grade below the midyear standards. (Due to an apparent 
error in administering the test, the scores from the first year high 
school pupils are omitted from this report.) 

Another point of comparison is given in table 20, which shows how 
.certain grades of Niagara Falls compared with the standard scores 
that the same pupils would have been expected to attain had they 
been tested in May or June of the previous year. 

Table 20 

Comparison of Niagara Falls silent reading scores with standard scores 

the same pupils should have achieved had they been tested 

near the end of the previous school year 

Grades 4 5 7 „ ^ ^ 

R C R C R C R C 
Previous " End of the year " 

standards 60 9.3 79 15.3 56 21.0 104 24.5 

Niagara Falls October scores. 69 8.6 86 12.9 S3 16.5 89 18.9 
Points scored above given 

standard -|-9 .... -\-7 .... ■• ■••• •• ' !■' ^ 

Points below given standard.. .. — .7 .. — 2.4 — 13 — 4.5 ■ — 15 — 5.6 

Table 20 shows that grades 4 and 5 read more rapidly, and grades 
7 and 8 more slowly than the standard that should be expected of 
these same pupils had they been tested the previous May or June. 
Their ability to comprehend the thought of the printed page is below 
standard in each grade and increasingly lower as pupils progress 
through the grades ; that is, the fourth grade scores .7 below the 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 129 

Standard ; the fifth grade 2.4 below, the seventh grade 4.5 below ; and 

the eighth grade 5.6 points below the standard. 

Table 21 shows how Niagara Falls and Elmira compare in the 

ability of the children of grades 3 to 8 inclusive to read silently. The 

two school systems were tested during consecutive weeks and by the 

same examiners. 

Table 21 

Comparison of silent reading ability of Elmira and Niagara Falls schools 

School system 3 4 5 6 7 8 

R C R C R C R C R C R C 

Elmira 44 3.9 76 11.3 98 16.5 SI 18.3 90 21.5 98 22.5 

Niagara Falls. 44 3.8 69 8.6 86 12.9 90 15.5 83 16.5 89 18.9 

The table shows that Niagara Falls pupils score lower than Elmira 
pupils in their ability to understand the meaning of the printed page. 

Summary 
The results of the silent reading test indicate: (a) That pupils 
of grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Niagara Falls read on the average as 
lapidly as pupils in other schools ; but that the seventh and eighth 
grades read much more slowly; (b) that the elementary school pupils 
do not comprehend the meaning of what they read nearly so well 
as do the average of pupils in other schools ; (c) that while each suc- 
ceeding grade makes progress in learning to comprehend the mean- 
ing of the printed page, this progress is decreasingly less as pupils 
advance through the elementary school. 

Recommendations 

The survey committee believes that the teachers and supervisory 
officers of the Niagara Falls schools will find it profitable to give in 
an organized way a great deal of attention to the teaching of silent 
reading. Such an organized effort might properly include among 
other things the following: 

a Making a careful distinction between oral and silent reading and 
the objectives to be gained through each type. 

b Consideration of the best types of subject matter to be taught 
in silent reading courses. 

c Special emphasis on the method of silent reading in such kindred 
subjects as geography and history. 

d Teaching pupils to use books ; that is, how to use the index, table 
of contents, topical headings; and how to find quickly the chief 
thought of a paragraph. 

e A study of methods and types of assignments. 



M 



riiio DNivi'.Ksnv (»!■ I'lii.; staii': ok Niav vdkr 



/ An c'\;iIii;ilioii ol the (liUcrcnt Injics of (|U('slioiis to l)c usi'd in 
the ;issi;;iinicnl .nid iccilal ion. 

(/ I is<- ol inlDinial silt ill ii'iidiiij; U'sts; tli.il is, tests devised l)y 
|)rinc-i]ials and Icatlitis lo test tin- ahilily ol impils lo jdcaii tliouf^lil 
(|uit'kl\ 1 1 oiii llic piinU-d liat;f. 

/; I lie list' t)l at least one stantlaitli/i'tl silent reatliii}^ lest eaeli year, 
as a iiieans id ineasinin^ progress ol aeliiexi'inent. 



Language 

( )ne ol the niosl iinpoilanl iaelois tlelei iniinn^ llie siU'eess of 
school ehiltlren is their ian^uat^e ahihty. As a nieasine ol this ahiUty, 
the Trahue eoniplelion ti'st lanj;ua}^e scale (", was used in {grades 
.> to *'. A ct)p)' of the sc.-ile fttllnvvs: 



Writf (inly mic word on catii !>l;iiiii. 
riiiic liniil : Si\('ii iiiiiiiile's 



NaiiK- 

(iradtj 

A^e' (oil last jjirllitlay) 



'rrahiii' 
l.aiiKuaKf Scale C 

1 Tlif sUy liluf. 

2 Mill tiltlfi tliaii lioys. 

.^ ( iiiotl iiiiys Uiiiil llifif sisliTS. 

4 'riif (-'.ill ffll and lui litatl. 

5 Tlif rises liir iiuuiiiii}-'. ami al iii^-l't 

() 'riic li(i\ w 111! Iiarti il«> will, 

7 Men iiunL- Ill tlti lua\ \ wdiU womt'ii. 

S riic Mill is SI) that oiif I ail iml 

iliiirlly causing ^i;l^L'ni ilismuiliii l lo llif c-yis. 

9 The kiidw K'llj-',!' of iiM' iiif is ol 

iiuporlaiil lliiii^^s Liiowu by Iml niiktiowii animals. 

10 ( )iic otij-'Jil lo gifat laif lo llif I in'il "' . . . .>i . 

lor oiH' will* had haliits it In gel away 

from them. 

Tins lanL;na^e scale nie;isures, priinaiils, the j^eneial ahilily ol a 
class, ^ratle or school to ilu wiuk thai iii\t)l\'es lan^iiaj^c (liriiculties. 
A full dcscri[)tion of the scale, its tleiixatioii, the ke\' for scoriiij;, the 
directions for usiii^ it, and the inethod of interpretint; the results is 
^i\i-n in the monograph eiilitled "Ke\ loi (. niniilet ion 'l\'st 1-an- 
iiua''e .Seales "' h\' i\\ . 1\. I'lahne. The i-eiieral schcine for ratinij 



1 Puhlislifd liy I'.ini'aii ol I 'iihlii .ilioiis, 'riailiirs Collfj'i', ( oliiiuhia Uiiivcr- 
silv. Now N'oik I'itv. 



ui'-.i'oirr OF TiiK nja(;aka I'Ai.i.s school systicm ]M 

the test papers is given l)elow as a <|uolatioii from ]y,\^c 11 of the 
monograph. 

Score 2 

A score of 2 points is to l)e j'iveii each seiitiiici' c(im])K(i(| |nrfeclly. Krrors 
ill spelling:, capitalization, and punctuati< n slxmld not he allowed U) aifeet the 
score. 

Score 1 

A .score of 1 is to be given each sentence completed with ordy a slight im- 
perfection. A poorly chosen word or a common grammatical error, which 
makes the sentence less than perfect and yet leaves it with reasonably good 
sense should serve to reduce the score from 2 to 1. 

Score 
A score of is to be given if the scntcnci' as completed has its sense or 
construction badly distorted. A sentence must have reasonably good meaning 
and express a sentiment wliich might honestly \iv licld by an intelligent person 
in order to receive a higher credit than zero. 

it will he noted that the perfect score on this scale vvonld he 20. 

Slaiidard Scores 
Mr Trahne, on page 58 of his monograph, gives the median score 
that .sliould he ohtained hy each grade at midyear and the median 
scores for the lower and U])])er half of each grade. As an example, 
the lower third grade should score 7.4, the tipper half of the third 
grade should sccjre 8.6 while the standard midyear sccjre for the class 
would he 8.0. Trahue's low, or standard score for the first half 
of each grade is approximately the score that children entering a 
grade in Se])temher should make if tested ahout the middle of Novem- 
her. It is this score that is used as a standard for Niagara h\Uls. 

TAinjc 21 
Niagara Falls language scores 

Giving tlip score made by eadi grade in eacli scliool and llic slanil.irds fi,r the- I'lrsl Ii.ilt 
i)f each grade (jr November standards; also, showing llu- iMiiulnr of pi. lots each grade fell 
below the " low " or Novendier standards 

School 3 4 i () 7 H 9 

.\shlanJ 6.4 JO.l 11.5 \.\.2 

Center 6.3 8.8 10.4 11.1 

Cleveland .S . .S 9.4 10 11.6 12.4 1.5.1 

Kerry 4 . .3 6 . .S '> . .S 10.8 .... 

I*"ifth 7.7 9.1 11.2 12.4 11.7 1,!.4 

Maple 6.2 8..S 12 1 ,i 

Niagara 5.. 3 7 .i S.S v.x 12 12.6 .... 

Sugar 6.8 9 11.1 11,2 

Tenth 6.1 8 JO.l 11.'* 11. (> 

Third 7.1 9.6 11 12.1 

Thirteenth 6..'? 7 . .S X,') 10.4 .... .... .... 

Twenty-fourth 7 8.7 11 11.6 11.9 1 .i . i .... 

Twenty-second 6.8 9.4 1 . .'i 12.2 1.5 .... .... 

Whitney 6.3 8.6 10.3 10.9 

Itigh school .... .... .... .... .... .... 14 5 

Vocational .... .... ... .... .... .... 14.5 

Medians by grades 6.4 8.7 10. 45 11.65 ii.O i.i.05 ui.S 

Oct. and Nov. standards 7.4 9.6 I 1.1 12.2 13.1 14.1 15.0 

No. points below Oct. standard 1.0 .9 .6 .5 1,1 1.0 .5 

N. B. — Note the difference between grade scores fur !•'< i ry Sirtit ami .A^hl.iiid .-X venue 
.Schools. 



132 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Table 22 shows that each grade tested in Niagara Falls scored from 
.5 to 1.1 points below the standard for the first half of each grade. 
Interpreted in another way, this means that grades 3, 4 and 5 aver- 
aged about one-third of a grade below the standard ; and grades 6, 
7, 8 and 9 averaged a little more than one-half of a grade below 
.standard. The data of table 23 show how the children of Niagara 
Falls compare in language ability with children of the same grades 
in other cities. 

Table 23 
Comparative study of language ability 

Showing how the children of Niagara Falls compare with children of the same grades 
in other American cities, as tested with the Trabue completion test-language scale C 

Date Scores by grades 

School system tested 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 

Elmira Oct. 7.4 0.8 11.1 12.3 1.1.4 13.8 14.2 

Niagara Falls Oct. 6.4 8.7 10.4 11.6 12.0 13.0 14.5 

Nassau co.i 8.2 10.2 .... 12.4 14.0 

Whitehall Nov 10.5 11.6 12.9 13.5 

Chatham, N. J.^ Dec 10.8 11.7 12.2 14.8 15.8 

St Paul, Minn." Feb. 7.8 9.4 11.1 12.2 13.1 14.0 

Midyear standards. . 8.0 10.0 11.4 12.4 13.4 14.4 15.2 

An examination of the data of table 23 shows that Niagara Falls 
not only scores considerably below the midyear standard, but in each 
grade tested it has the lowest score of any of the six school systems 
considered in the table. The results indicate that the children of 
Niagara Falls may not have the native ability for language work 
that is to be expected of school children of the same grades in Ameri- 
can schools. This conclusion, of course, is only tentative, and should 
be judged in the light of other tests ; but it should lead to a closer 
analysis of the language abilities of individual pupils and the diffi- 
culties that confront the teachers of Niagara Falls, (^ne of the chief 
difficulties confronting teachers is the wide range of language ability 
in any one class or grade of a school. This fact is shown forcibly 
by the data of table 24 showing the distrilnition of language ability 
for grades 3 and 5 of the fourteen elementary schools. 



^ From " Report of a Survey of Public Education in Nassau County, N. Y." 1918. 

^ From "The Supervisor's Use of Standard Tests," Elementary School .Tournnl, Jan. 1917. 

^ From the Survey of the School System of St Paul, 1917, p. 459. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 



133 



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t^ ^. ><-, -r c^i NO . •■', U-. in .— o "v "-, -t 

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f\, r^. Ol in 3 (^1 -NO 1^1 l^ '-^ -i- NO oi m 






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134 'I'lll', IINIVI'-.KSI IN' Ol' 'I'lll'-. SI'Al'P. ()!•• Ni:W Y(JUK 

Obviously, the pupils <il llic Aslil.ind A\cimc Sclmol third ^rade 
who .sc()r('d 12 and 1 1 do not h.ivc the same Iani;iiai;c' (hlficullics as 
ihc nine (hiMicn who scored .' or less. Likewise it is (hllieuh to sec 
how teachers ol the Tilth i^rade classes c;ni secure L;ood results from 
children who (ould no! Idl in the hlanks lorrectly ol more than two 
or three sentences ol sc;de ( . The scores from the lilth j^rade of 
the dirfereiit schools show that the class in Maple Street School, 
whose ability raiij^es from '' to 11 or a dirference of 5 points, is a 
uiuch easier class to ten li lli.ni (lie ilass of Su.i^ar Strei't School which 
I'tlUf^'CS from .'^ lo 15 (ti" a diHereni'e of \ J. points. When it is con- 
sidered ih.il the median store lor liltli ;;rade classes tested in ( )ctob(.'r 
should be 11 ol .iho\c, it hetomes evident tlial tUOSt of the schools 
of the Nia;;;ira l'"alls system haxc a very important but difficult 
])roblem of uu-etinj^ the lan^Mi.i"c needs ol a lar^e number of ])Upils. 
1 )isliibutioii of scores luade b\ other !_;i;ides shows (he same relalixc 
dilliculties as are indiciled b\ the r;in;;e of third and lifth ;^rade 
scoi"es in table 2\. 

SiiniiiKiry 

(I. The scale used lor nieasmiiiL; lanj;ua,i;e ability lirobahl\ measures 
only indiriHtly the results ol tlassrooiu leaidiin}^ ; it d(jes }^ive a uieas- 
ure of lani;ua^i' abilil\ td i hildren who hax'c had 2 or more years of 
school training. 

/' 'The seven grades ( .> 'M tested fell below the stand.ard that 
should be t'xpi'tted of childicn in the sanu- j^rades when tested durinj;' 
the brst h.ill ol the school ^rade. 

<■ Compared with the results obtained from live other school sys- 
teius, Niagara balls children reicived the lowest .score in each j.irade 
3 lo X inilusivc. 

I\'i-i(iiinii('ii(l(ili(iiis 

The lirst piobleiu is to discover whether tlie lacls indicated in the 
abovi' summary hold true with other tests. 

II llu\se lads prove to be true, then it will be neces.s.ary to deter- 
mine the cause of the laii'_;nai;e deliciencv. 

.\ reclassilicatioii ol childien according t(» laiiL;naL;e abilitv should 
give teachers a nuuh better op|ioitniiitv to meet the Lin^na^e nei'ds 
of indi\idu;il childien. 

Coniposilion 

( )ne ti'st ol laiii^ua^e at hu'vement is that ol abilitv to write compo- 
sition, 'ihe subject, "What I Should Like to I )o Ne.\t Saturday" 
was assij^ned to all pupils of tirades I to •' inclusive. .Xfler ])upils 
had writtt'ii the necess.iiv data at the (op ol their paper, the test 
was e\plaine(| ;is lollows: 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 135 

I want to find out today how interesting a story you can write when you try 
your very best. You may write on both sides of the paper if you wish. I 
want you to tell me in this composition what you would like to do next Satur- 
daj'. The topic on which you are to write is written on the board. (The 
examiner pointed to the subject) "Are there any questions?" 

When questions were answered, children were told to " Begin." 
They were allowed exactly 20 minutes. 

Scoring the Papers 
When the papers were collected, they were arranged alphabetically 
and numbered. Only the odd-numbered papers were scored. All 
teachers met one afternoon and rated the papers. The rating was 
done by use of the Nassau county supplement to the Hillegas scale. 
Teachers were divided into teams of three : the three teachers read 
each paper and recorded the score separately. Later the median of 
these three scores was taken as the final rating of the paper. Where 
two teachers agreed, the rating given twice was taken as the final 
score. Later these papers were read again by a special examiner 
who has had much practice in using the composition scale. It was 
found that the ratings given by many teams were quite accurate; 
but a few teams or groups of teachers had failed to understand or 
observe the technic of using the scale. The data of table 25 show 
the difference between the ratings of one set of papers as given by 
teachers and by the survey committee. 

Table 25 
Giving the teachers' rating, the survey committee's rating and the differ- 
ence between the two ratings for each pupil's paper 

Su rvey 

Pupil's Teachers' committee's Difference 

■number scores scores in scores 

1 6.0 5.0 1.0 

2 6.0 5.0 1.0 

3 7.2 6.0 1.2 

4 6.0 5.0 1.0 

5 S.O 3.8 1.2 

6 3.8 2.8 1.0 

7 S.O 5.0 

8 S.O 5.0 

9 5.0 S.O 

10 7.2 6.0 1.2 

11 S.O 3.8 1.2 

12 7.2 7.2 

13 7.2 6.0 1.2 

14 6.0 -6.0 

15 6.0 5.0 1.0 

16 S.O 5.0 

17 6.0 " 5.0 1.0 



IM) THE LIMVKRSITY Ol'' TllK STA'J'E OF NKW YORK 

'riu- (lata ol" table 2() arc taken from the corrected scores or ratings 
given hy the survey coniniillee. 

TablI': 26 

Grade scores in composition for each school and for the entire school 
system; also the approximate standard scores 

School 4 5 6 7 8 9 

Ashland 2.7 4.7 4.6 

Center 2.4 3.6 S.2 

Cleveland 2.9 3.7 4.3 4.8 5.5 .... 

Ferry 2.4 2.9 5.2 

Fifth 2.0 3.5 5.0 5.2 5.4 

Maple 2.9 3.9 4.8 • 

Niagara 2.4 2.7 4.6 3.8 5.6 

Sugar 2.4 3.5 3.7 

Tenth 2.8 3.7 4.0 5.2 

Third 2.6 3.2 5.0 

'Ihirteenlh 2.5 3.0 4.0 

Twenty-fourth 2.3 3.4 4.8 4.1 5.5 

'rwenty-second 2.3 4.0 4.6 5.0 .... 

Whitney 2.7 3.0 4.1 .... 

High School 5.9 

Median .scores 2.6 3.4 4.4 4.8 5.S 5.9 

.Standard score.s 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 

The standards gi\en in table 2() were derived as a result of a num- 
ber of surveys of city, village and county school systems. Doctor 
Trabue points out that these standards are higher than the average 
or median derived from these several surveys but are scores that 
were reached or e.Kceeded by a few schools for each grade, lie sug- 
gests that they are standards to be attained rather than medians of 
])ast achievement.' it will be seen that although the standard scores 
are ideal rather than the average of actual achievement, grades 6, 7, 
S and 9 of Niagara Falls scored very near to the standard. 

The tlata of table 27 show how Niagara Falls children comi)are in 
composition ability with other New York school systems. 

Table 27 
Comparison of composition ability 

Sliowinn how the median scores obtained by Niagara Falls children in English com- 
position (cinipare with the median scores obtained by other New York school .systems 

Median score dttuiiird ui (jriulc 
School system 

Niagara Falls 

3 Elmira 

1 lUnghamton 

2 lUica 

3 Amsterdam 

4 Nassau co 

4 Ethical Culture School, 

New York City.. 4.01 4.72 5.39 5.74 

Ttiilative standard scores 3.5 4.0 4.S 5.0 5.5 6.0 



4 


.1 


6 


7 


S 


P 


2.6 


3.4 


4.4 


4.8 


5.5 


5.9 


3.4 


4.3 


4.4 


5.4 


5.6 


5.9 


2.7 


3.28 


4.41 


4.83 


5 . 62 




2.41 


3.13 


3.73 


4.64 


5.23 




2.07 


2.52 


3.37 


3.97 


4.65 


6.21 


2.76 


3.42 


3.82 


4.18 


4.56 


5.00 



* " Supi)lementing the llillegas Scale." Teachers College Record. Jan. 1917, p. 79. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 137 

It will be seen from table 27 that Niagara Falls children in grades 
5 to 9 inclusive compared favorably with children of the same grades 
of other New York schools in ability to write English composition. 

Summary 

a Whereas the standards were higher than most schools had 
achieved up to 1917, Niagara Falls practically reached the standard 
in all grades above the fifth. 

b li Niagara Falls children have less native ability for language 
work than the average of American school children possess, as was 
indicated by the Trabue language scale, then Niagara Falls teachers 
deserve all the more credit for teaching composition. 

c It was the judgment of the survey committee that the good 
record made by Niagara Falls children in composition writing was 
due in the main to special emphasis that teachers had placed on this 
subject. 

Recofmnetidations 

a Children, generally throughout the school system should be en- 
couraged to use their imagination more in composition writing. 

b Since a fairly good record has been attained in written compo- 
sition, particularly in the upper elementary grades, more attention 
should be given to " oral composition." 

Arithmetic 

The Woody arithmetic scales, series B, were used to measure pupil 
achievement in arithmetic. These scales consist of four different 
tests, one each for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. 
Each scale contains aljout 20 problems, and tests children's ability 
in the fundamental process through common and decimal fractions, 
United States money and denominate numbers. The problems are 
so arranged on each scale that the first represents the very simplest 
operation, and each succeeding problem is approximately one num- 
erical unit more difficult than the problem preceding it. These facts 
are shown by the addition scale given on the following page. 



138 THE UNIVI'-RSITY 01' THK STATE OF NKW YORK 

Woody Addition scale B 

City County School Date 

Name When is your next hiiihday ? . . . . 

How old will you I)e ? Arc you a hoy or a j^irl ? . . . 

In what grade arc you ? Teacher's name 



(1) 


(2) 


2 


2 


,3 


2 


— 


3 


(K^) 


(14) 


23 




25 


25 + 42 : 


16 





(3) (5) (7) (10) 

17 72 3+1= 21 

2 26 7,3, 

— — 35 

(16) (19) (20) 

9 $ .75 $12.50 

24 1.25 16.75 

12 .49 15.75 

15 

19 



(21) (22) (23) (24) (30) 

$8.00 547 4.0125 2^ 

5.75 197 ^ + j^= 1.5907 63/^ 

2.33 685 4.10 ?>y^ 

4.16 678 8.673 

.94 456 

6.32 393 

525 

240 
152 



im (.36) (38) 

.49 2 yr. 5 mo. 

.28 3 yr. 6 mo. 

.6i 4 yr. 9 mo. 25.091 + 100.4 + 25 + 98.28 -|- 19.3614 = 

.95 5 yr. 2 mo. 
1 .69 6 yr. 7 mo. 

.22 

..33 

..36 
1.01 

. Su 

.88 

.75 

.56 
1.10 

.18 

.56 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 139 

Giving the Tests 
The survey committee requested the principals to administer the 
subtraction and division tests, and w^ith the assistance of their teach- 
ers to score those papers. This request v^as made principally because 
the Woody scale is one of the easiest of the educational tests to ad- 
minister and to score, and one of the most valuable so far as using 
the results is concerned. The survey committee believed that if 
principals and teachers helped in this original survey of arithmetic 
that they would be interested and glad to cooperate v^^ith the super- 
intendent in making a more comprehensive study of pupil achieve- 
ment in arithmetic at some later date. Judging by the results from 
the grades of the dififerent schools, the committee believes that the 
results for subtraction and division are as reliable as for addition 
and multiplication. 

Standard Scores 
Mr Woody 's original publication set up certain standards for each 
of the scales. These standards were based on the results obtained 
by from 20,000 to 30,000 children. The tests have been so widely 
used, however, that lately new standards have been published which 
are perhaps more valuable than the original and so are used in this 
report. The midyear standard as used in this report is the average 
of the scores obtained from the use of the B scale in fourteen differ- 
ent cities of the United States as given on pages 22 and 23 of the 
Teachers College Bulletin, entitled " The Woody Arithmetic Scales." 
The October standards used in this re])ort are the average of scores 
obtained in five cities whose pupils were tested in October and No- 
vember. While the October standards are not entirely reliable they 
are approximately what we would expect for the latter part of 
October. All scores are in terms of the number of problems solved 
•correctly. 



140 



THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



Niagara Falls Scores 
Table 28 shows how the schools of Niagara Falls compare with 
one another and with the standards of achievement described above. 

Table 28 
Grade scores in addition for each school in Niagara Falls 



School 

Ashland 

Center 

Cleveland 

Ferry 

Fifth 

Maple 

Niagara 

Sugar 

Tenth 

Third 

Thirteenth 

Twenty-fourth 

Twenty-second 

Whitney 

Niagara Falls grade scores 

Approximate October 
standards 



School 

Ashland 

Center 

Cleveland 

Ferry 

Fifth 

Maple 

Niagara 

Sugar 

Tenth 

Third 

Thirteenth 

Twenty-fourth 

Twenty-second 

Whitney 

Niagara Falls grade scores 

Approximate October 
standards 



0.9 

7.7 

7.7 

7.i 

7.1 

8. 

7.5 

7.8 

7.6 

8.2 

7.4 

6.8 

7.5 

7.7 



4 
11.9 
12.1 
10.5 
10.9 
10.4 
10.3 
11.5 
10.2 
11.2 
11.6 
11.6 
10.2 
10.4 
11.3 



Grades 
5 
13.7 
14.2 
13.2 
13.4 
13.5 
14.1 
12.9 
13.1 
13.8 
14.5 
13.1 
12.9 
12.6 
13.6 



6 
15.6 
14.8 
15.1 
16.0 
15.2 
15.3 
14.8 
14.4 
15.8 
16 

14.4 
16.0 
15.2 
15.3 



16 

is. 9 
ie 

i6.4 



15.4 
15.6 



7.6 


10.9 




13.5 


15.4 


15.9 16.5 


8.2 


11.6 

Table 


29 


13.2 


15.1 


15.7 


6.8 


trad 


tion for each school 


in Niagara Falls 










Grades 








5 


4 




5 


6 


7 


8 


6.S 


9.6 




11.5 


13.0- 






6.4 


8.9 




11.8 


12.9 








6.6 


8.7 




10.9 


12.2 


12 


9 


4.2 


7.5 


8.2 




10.8 


11.7 








7.4 


8.7 




11.6 


11.9 


13 


6 


4.4 


7 


9.2 




11.3 


12.3 








8.8 


11 




12.3 


13.8 


14 


3 




6.1 


8.5 




11.4 
9.2 


12.1 
11.7 








7.2 


9.4 




12.1 


13.1 








7.7 


9.4 




11.1 


11.7 








7.4 


9.3 




11.2 


12.3 








7.3 


8.5 




10.2 


13.2 


13 


4 




5.8 


9.1 




10.9 


12.2 








7.1 


9.1 




11.15 


12.3 


13.4 


14.3 



6.8 



9.0 



10.6 



12.2 



13.3 



School 

Ashland 

Center 

Cleveland 

Ferry 

Fifth 

Maple 

Niagara 

Sugar 

Tenth 

Third 

Thirteenth 

Twenty-fourth 

Twenty-second ... 

Whitney 

Niagara Falls grade scores 

Approximate October standards. 



Table 


30 








tion for each school 


in N 








Gra 


dcs 


4 




.^ 




6 


10.1 




12.3 




16.0 


10.6 




14.2 




16.1 


9.4 




12.8 




15.5 


9.6 




10.9 




15.2 


10.4 




12.1 




16.1 


9.8 




13.8 




17 


9.2 




10.6 




14.4 


9 




12.2 




14.7 


11.5 




11.0 




15.8 


10 




11.4 




16.5 


10.4 




11.9 




14.3 


10.5 




11.4 




14.9 


9.6 




11.5 




14.8 


10.2 


- 


12.4 


- 


15.4 


10.05 


12.1 


15.4 


9.5 




11.2 




14.2 



17.0 



15.9 
16.6 



16.7 
15.2 



17 


4' 


16 


s' 


16 


4' 


17 


4' 


17 


25 


16 


7 



report of the niagara falls school system 141 

Table 31 
Grade scores in division for each school in Niagara Falls 

School Grades 

4 5 6 7 8 

Ashland ; 5.4 7.1 11.1 

Center 7.5 10.2 11.3 

Cleveland 4.9 7.9 10.6 12.0 1- 

Ferry 5.6 6.4 9.6 

Fifth 5.7 9.4 12.9 12.6 13 

Maple ^ 7.2 9.5 11.8 

Niagara 5.1 8.3 10 

Sugar 6.4 8.1 10.3 

Tenth 5.6 8.3 

Third 7 9.2 11.5 

Thirteenth 4.9 7.5 10.4 

Twenty-fourth 5.1 8.7 10.9 12.2 12 

Twenty-second 5.3 7.8 10.6 12.4 

Whitney 6.4 9.3 11.7 



Niagara Falls grade scores 5.5 8.65 10.9 12.3 12 



Approximate October standards 5.7 8.0 10.3 11.6 12 



Between the schools a wide difference of abiHty is noticeable in 
certain grades : third grade addition scores ranged from 6.8 in the 
Twenty-fourth Street School to 10.9 in the Ashland Avenue School ; 
fifth grade subtraction scores ranged from 9.2 in Tenth Street 
School to 12.3 in Third Street School; sixth grade multiplication 
scores ranged from 14.3 in Thirteenth Street School to 17.0 in the 
Maple Avenue School; fourth grade division scores ranged from 
4.9 in two schools to 7.5 in Center Street School. An even greater 
difference existed between class scores with'in the same grade. 

Compared with the standard scores, Niagara Falls made a very 
good record as is shown in the following summary : 

Addition : Grades 6 and 7 exceeded midyear standard. Grades 
5, 6 and 7 exceeded October standard. Grades 3, 4 and 8 were lower 
than Octoljer standard. 

Subtraction: Grades 5 and 8 -exceeded midyear standard. All 
grades exceeded October standard. 

Multiplication : All grades were above midyear and October 
Standard. 

Division : Grades 5, 6 and 7 exceeded midyear standard. Grades 
5, 6, 7 and 8 exceeded October standard. Grade 4, only, fell below 
October standard. 

Summary 

a Niagara Falls is more successful than the average of schools in 
teaching the fundamentals of arithmetic. 

h Grades 3, 4 and 8 scored lower than the October standard in 
addition and grade 4 fell below in division ; however, these scores 
are so near the standard that they do not disclose any particular 
-weakness in the teaching of those grades. 



142 



THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



c Multiplication is ])etter taught in Niagara Falls schools than 
addition, sul)traction or division. 

d The school as a whole did hetter in subtraction than in either 
addition or division. 

e Niagara Falls teachers have laid such a good foundation in 
arithmetic that with concentrated, organized effort they can easily 
make Niagara Falls one of the foremost cities of the State in the 
arithmetic achievement of pupils. 



A Suggested Method of Analyaing Test Results 
(See table 32, the class record sheet of a sixth grade group at Tenth 

Street School) 
In order to use the results of the Woody scale successfully it is 
necessary not only to know how many problems each child solves 
correctly, but which problems caused the most difficulty and what 
particular elements or processes of these problems caused the trouble. 
A teacher who has prepared such a class record as is contained in 
table 32 can see at a glance which problems were solved correctly 
by all her class and which problems caused the most difficulty. For 
instance, she can see that problem : 

37 — 2-2" X 4^^ X 1"2 — was omitted or missed by 84 per cent of class. 
38— .0963^ 

.084 " 81 per cent 



35 — 9871 

25 



33-2ix3i 
26 — 9742 
59 



29- 


-iX2 


27- 


-6.25 




3.2 



24 
234 



54 per cent " 

51 per cent " 

46 per cent " 

35 per cent " 

21 per cent " 

21 per cent " 



After finding which problems have caused failures the next ques- 
tion to determine is what process or elements of each problem 
caused the trouble. Table 32 shows that 15 of the 37 pupils tried 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 143 

l)rol)lem 26 and failed to solve it correctly. An analysis of the mis- 
takes shows that 2 pupils failed in addition, 2 made mistakes in 
multiplying by 9 and the remaining 11 failed to multiply by 5. With 
these facts before her, the teacher can quickly find out why these 
1 1 pupils did not multii)ly by 5 but left the problem to go on trying 
others. 

Problem 33 (2\ X 3-|- =) was missed by 16 pupils of the 37. An 
analysis of the results shows that 2 pupils in multiplying the de- 
nominators, 2 X 2, secured 2 as a product ; 2 pupils considered the 
numerators as 21 and 31 respectively; 2 pupils multiplied the whole 
numbers and the fractions together separately and added the pro- 
ducts ; 4 secured 7 as the answer ; 3 secured 1^ as the answer ; 2 mul- 
tiplied 2X3 securing 6 as the product but ignored the fraction ; 

1 secured 3/7 as the answer ; 1 pupil did not reduce to simplest terms. 
One wonders by what peculiar mental process so many pupils 

secured 7 or 1^ as an answer. One pupil gave a clue to the latter 
part of the question. His solution showed that he had multiplied 

2 by 3 taking the product as the numerator and then multiplied 2 by 2 
to secure 4 as the denominator. His resulting fraction, 6/4, when 
reduced gave H. When the teacher has secured such information 
as this it becomes an easy matter to correct the queer mental pro- 
cess that caused children to make such errors. 



144 



THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



Pupil's 
Number 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 



9. . 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 
26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 
32. 
33. 
34. 
35. 
36. 
37. 



Table 32 
Woody arithmetic — multiplication scale B 

Sixth grade of Tenth Street School 



1 3 



5 8 



Sea, 
9 1 



e nnmhcr of problems 
12 13 16 IS 20 24 26 27 29 33 35 37 38 



Number rights 37 37 37 37 37 34 3 

Number wrongs 

Not tried 

Total per cent misse<l and 

omitted 8 



1 1 
1 1 



1 1 
1 1 



1 

1 1 
1 1 
1 1 
1 1 
1 1 
1 1 



1 1 

1 1 

1 1 

1 I) 

1 1 

1 1 

1 

1 (I 

1 1 





1 1 



1 1 

1 1 
1 1 



1 
1 

1 



1 
1 1 







1 1 
1 1 



1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 1 1 



1 1 

1 







1 
1 
1 
1 



1 .. 





1 1 

1 

1 1 1 

0.. 

1 1 

1 

1 1 



1 1 

1 

1 

1 


. 1 . . 







. . . . 

1 . . . . 





. . 




1 



1 
. 



1 1 

. 

1 

.. 



1 

10 



1 .. 
1 1 



6 '6 

1 

6 . . 











1 1 




1 









35 35 32 29 36 30 21 29 24 18 17 6 7 
2 2 5 8 1 6 15 7 10 16 18 20 18 
000001 11332 11 12 



8 5 5 13 21 3 19 43 21 35 51 54 84 81 



Recommendations 

a Teachers should discover l)y use of these and other tests which 
types of problems and which arithmetical processes cause their pupils 
most difficulty and then should eliminate these difficulties. 

b More drill or emphasis should be given to teaching of division. 

c Supervisory officers should discover why classes in some schools 
score very much higher in one process and much lower in another 
process. The caprice of the classroom teacher should not be allowed 
to overdrill i)upils in addition or multiplication at the expense of 
subtraction or division. 

d An organization of teachers and supervisory officers might 
readily be perfected to make a continuous study of su1}ject matter 
and methods of teaching arithmetic through the use of standardized 
and informal tests as suggested in the method described above. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 145 

c The methods of testing and studying the teaching of funda- 
mentals, as described in this report, should be applied to the teaching 
of other phases of arithmetic; for example, solving of problems re- 
quiring reasoning ability. 

Handwriting 

Samples of handwriting were collected from all pupils in grades 3 
to 9 inclusive according to the following directions : 

Directions for Giviufi and Scoring Handivritinci Test 
To Teachers: 

In order that a uniform method be used throughout the city, please follow 
carefully the directions given below : 

Collect samples of handwriting during the week October 13-15. 

Each teacher of grades 3 and 4 should write on the board the lines : 

" Mary had a little lamb 

With fleece as white as snow 
And everywhere that Mary went 
The lamb was sure to go." 

Each teacher of grades S, 6, 7, 8 and 9 should write on the board in front of 
the room the first three sentence? of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. 

As preliminary preparation, the pupils should read and copy this until they 
are thoroughly familiar with it and practically know it by heart. For the final 
test, the teacher should have a watch with a second hand, and all pupils should 
begin to write at exactly the same instant. They should write precisely for 2 
minutes. 

Writing should be in ink and on ruled papers. Each paper should bear the 
name of the pupil, the name of the school, the grade, whether A or B division 
and the teacher's name. 

Pupils should be instructed to write the above lines over and over again until 
told to stop. Papers will be scored for both speed and quality. The count 
of the letters of each copy on opposite page of this sheet will aid in scoring 
for speed. The teacher should mark on each paper, in the upper right-hand 
corner, the number of letters written by the pupil in the 2 minutes. 

The superintendent will designate a place and time where all teachers can 
meet with the survey committee to score these papers for quality ; each teacher 
will please bring the papers of her class to such meeting. 

Each teacher determined the rate scores for the papers of her 
class. The Ayres *' Measuring Scale for Handwriting, Gettysburg 
Edition " was used to determine the quality scores. All teachers met 
with the survey committee. Each paper was scored by three teach- 
ers; and the median of the three scores was taken as the final quality 
score of the paper. The scores given in table 33 are the results 
obtained from the ratings given by teachers to the individual papers. 



146 the university of the state of new york 

Table 33 
Handwriting scores 

Giving the " rate " and " quality " scores for each school, and for the school system as a 
whole, as determined by the Ayres "Measuring Scale for Handwriting"; also showing how 
these scores compare with the Ayres standard scores 

.? 4 5 6 7 8 

School R Q R Q R Q R Q R Q R Q 

Ashland 41 48 43 60.5 64 63 72 62 

Center 41 39 42.5 56 73 47 84 65 

Cleveland 45 43 64.5 49 69 51 78 55 84.5 60 88.5 58 

Ferry 35 52 53 53 104 51 84 65 

Fifth 42 49 56 41 69 52 78 53 87 70 83.5 71 

Maple 35 50 51.5 44 .. .. 53.5 45 

Niagara 41.5 37 47 55 81 49 78 62 83 63 100 69 

Sugar 45 49 42 53 67 50 68 65 

Tenth 40 34 43 41 70 53 91.5 66 75.5 63 

Third 44 43 51 44 59 56 65 68 

Thirteenth 38.5 51 67 58 80 40 88.3 62 

Twenty-fourth .. 36.5 43 47 44 53 64 67.5 57 83 39 85.5 48 

Twenty-second . 47.5 46 44.5 59 66 65 83 63 94 74 

Whitney 34.5 57 50.5 63 73 55 43.5 63 

Grade medians.. 42 47.5 45.5 52.5 71 52 75 62.5 87 70.5 87.5 61.5 

Ayres grade 

standards 44 42 55 46 64 50 71 54 76 58 79 62 

The data of table 33 show that in Niagara Falls the rate scores of 
grades 3 and 4 are below the standard ; and of grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 
are above. The scores for quality are above the standards for each 
grade. 

It should be kept in mind that these samples were collected by 
teachers with only the typewritten directions as a guide, and that 
the scoring for quality was done after brief instructions and very 
little practice. A longer i)ractice period by teachers upon specimens 
of known value, and a longer period for scoring papers would have 
given more reliable results. It is probable, too, that a careful check- 
ing of the ratings given would have lowered the results indicated in 
table 33. 

The National Intelligence Tests 

When a school .system, a school, a class, or individual child is 
found to have a very high or a very low score, on an educational 
test, there is an indication that such school, class or individual needs 
unusual treatment or attention. The unusual score or rating may be 
due to anyone or a combination of several causes ; for example, the 
quality of teaching, the native ability of the children to do school 
work, the attendance of children at school, health conditions or gen- 
eral home conditions. Perhaps the first two of these factors exert 
the most influence on class or school scores. 

For the past several years, psychologists have been developing tests 
for measuring the intelligence of children and adults ; by intelligence 
is usuallv meant the native ability of children to learn or to achieve 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 147 

what the school offers. One of the best of these tests for measuring 
by groups the native abihty of children to do school work, or briefly, 
their general intelligence is the " National Intelligence Scale." 

Form A of this scale was used to test all pupils of the sixth grade 
in Niagara Falls schools ; and in addition was given to all pupils above 
the third grade in two typical schools, the Tenth Street School and 
the Twenty-second Street School. These tests were administered 
by members of the survey committee to all classes tested except the 
small sixth grade class of the Maple Street School. The papers were 
scored under the direction of the survey committee — each paper 
being scored by one examiner and his scoring checked by a second 
examiner. The utmost care was taken to make the giving of the 
tests and the scoring of the results entirely free from error of any 
kind. 

The scale values range from to 196. The distribution of scores 
made by the sixth grade pupils of the fourteen elementary schools of 
Niagara Falls is given in table 34. 



148 



THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



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REPORT OK THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 



149 



The median score of the 555 sixth grade pupils is 100.4. The 
median scores for schools range from 86 to 114. This difference in 
the ability of the different sixth grade groups is better illustrated by 
figure 4 which shows the rank of each group in graphic form. 



Ashland A; 
Maple 
Fifth 
Tenth 
Third St. 

24"^ 

Ceniar 

Cleveland A^ 

Sugar 

Whitney 

Ferr^ 

Niagara 

IS*-" 



10 20 30 40 50 60 70 60 90 100 110 
19 29 39 49 59 69 79 69 99 \00 U9 



FiGUiu-: 4 — Showing how the fourteen elementary schools compared in the 
median ability of sixth grade pupils to do school work 



Another important problem set forth in the data of table 34 is 
the wide range of ability of pupils in the same grade of the same 
schools. The ability of sixth grade pupils of the Cleveland Street 
School ranges from 50 to 140, or a difference of 90 points; of the 
Niagara Street School from 30 to 140 or a difference of 110 points. 
In contrast with these two illustrations, the scores of Center Street 
School range only from 70 to 120, and of Maple Street School from 
80 to 120 or differences of 50 and 40 points respectively. 

The facts set forth above raise exceedingly important questions : 

1 Can the sixth grade group whose- median ability is only 86 achieve 
as much in a school year as the group whose median score is 114? 

2 The median score of the 14 groups combined is 100. Should 
the group with median score of 86 be expected to achieve as much 
as the average? Should the group with median ability of 114 be 
expected to achieve more than the average? How much less in the 
one case? and how much more in the other? 



150 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

3 Should pupils scoring less than 80 be given the same instruction 
as pupils scoring above 120? 

4 If the teacher makes an assignment suited to the needs of the 
average pupils, that is, those scoring from 80 to 120, will the pupils 
who scored from 35 to 75 be able to do the work assigned ? To what 
extent will they understand the assignment ? What should the teacher 
expect of them ? On the other hand, will the work assigned be suffi- 
cient for those pupils rating 125 or above? or will they have time for 
loafing and so learn bad habits of work? 

5 What answers will teachers and school officials give to the above 
questions? W^hen they have answered, what can they do to improve 
the situation ? The problem is even more difficult than the foregoing 
data indicate, as is shown by the data of table 35. 

Table 35 
Intelligence scores by ages of sixth grade pupils 

Showing the number of pupils and the median score, as determined by the national 
intelligence scale, form A, of each half-year age group constituting the sixth grade of 
Niagara Falls. (10 yrs. means all pupils 9 yrs. 9 mos. to 10 yrs. 3 mos., when tested; 
lOJ/2 yrs. means all pupils 10 yrs. 3 mos. to 10 yrs. 9 mos., etc.) 

Age groups 

10 10^ 11 1]>^ 12 12^4 13 13J4 14 14;< IS 15j^ 16 16-^ 17 
No. of pupils^ 

S 17 5 72 63 47 80 33 36 24 28 27 6 2 

Median score 

98 106 108 107 107 106 91 99 91 85 92 92 75 80 

Table 35 throws further light on the problem raised by table 34, 
namely, the difficulty of teaching in the same class, pupils who diflfer 
widely in their ability to learn. The eight pupils only 10 years old 
who had reached the sixth grade in October 1920 made a median 
score of 98; the 255 pupils from 10 years 3 months to 12 years 
9 months inclusive had median scores of 106 to 108; the 228 from 
12 years 9 months to 15 years 9 months had median scores of re- 
spectively 91, 99, 91, 85, 92, 92; the 16 and 16^ year old children 
had median scores of 75 and 80. These children in the sixth grade 
who were 13 or more years old, present a twofold difficulty for 
teachers and supervisory officers to solve : ( 1 ) the test records show 
that they do not have al^ility to do the same work that the 11 and 
12 year old children can do; (2) on account of their age, they will 
soon be leaving school, so that whatever is done for them b}- the 
school must be done quickly. These children 13 years old or more, 
will soon be leaving school. What does Niagara Falls intend Jo do 
for them in the short time they will remain in school ? 

^ Due to apparent errors in recording ages and birthdays, the papers from sixth grade 
classes of Sugar Street and Maple Avenue Schools, and 16 papers from other scliools were 
omitted from the age distribution; the above table includes 496 of the 555 sixth grade pupils 
tested. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 151 

The difficulties and problems presented in the discussion of the 
sixth grade pupils, applies to other grades also, as is shown in table 36. 

Table 36 
Distribution of scores, national intelligence scale 

Showing the distribution of scores made by pupils of grades 4-7 of the Tenth Street and 
the Twenty-second Street Schools; the total number of pupils tested; and the median score 
of each grade group 

S 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 
Grade School 4 9 14 19 24 29 34 39 44 49 54 59 

4 Tenth 1 1 2 3 5 3 3 5 

Twenty-second 1 1 2 3 3 .. 4 2 

5 Tenth 1 .. .. 1 3 2 1 2 

Twenty-second 1 1 .. 2 2 

6 Tenth 1 . . 



Twenty-second 

Tenth 

Twenty-second 



7 


9 


6 


3 


3 


4 




2 








8 


8 


5 


7 


4 




2 






1 




3 


4 


8 


4 


8 


9 


7 


2 




2 


1 


2 


7 


9 


5 


11 


4 


5 


1 


1 






2 






3 


3 


1 


4 


6 


4 


4 




3 


i 


6 




4 


2 


3 


6 


8 


6 


4 


2 


2 








1 


3 


1 


2 


3 


4 






2 




1 


1 


1 


3 


1 


1 


3 



60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 
Grade School 64 69 74 79 84 89 94 99 104 109 114 119 

4 Tenth 10 

Twenty-second 5 

5 Tenth 3 

Twenty-second 8 

6 Tenth 

Twenty-second 

7 Tenth 

Twenty-second 

120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 

Grade School 124 129 134 139 144 149 154 159 164 Total Median 

4 Tenth 67 65.5 

Twenty-second 56 69 . 5 

123 

5 Tenth 2 2 65 

Twenty-second .... 1 1 61 

126 

6 Tenth 3 ... 2 2 1 1 ... 37 

Twenty-second .... 2 3 50 



7 Tenth 2 3 2 3 2 1 31 

Twenty-second 2 6 2 4... 2 1 1... 31 

62 120 

A comparison of the scores made by Niagara Falls children of 
Tenth Street and Twenty-second Street Schools with scores made 
by pupils of other school systems is given in table 37. 

Table 37 
Comparison of grade scores from national intelligence scale 

School system 

Niagara Falls 

Four New York school systems 

A-division of Washington schools^ 



67. 


,5 


85. 
79 


,5 


81. 


,5 


104 
103, 


.5 


103. 


,5 


117 

125. 


,5 



4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


68 


82 


104 


120 




65 


88 


105 


120 


128 


63 


67 


104 


118 


138 



The data of the above table indicate that the four grades of the 
two schools tested in Niagara Falls have about the same native ability 
to do school work as do the same grades of other schools. 

^ The data from Washington schools are expressed in averages and do not admit of 
strict comparison with the New York data expressed in terms of medians. 



152 THE UNIVKRSITV OK THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Another ([ueslion to he determined hefore judj^ing the pupil 
achievement of a school system is whether the children of each age- 
group comi)are favoral)ly in al)ility to learn with children of the same 
age-group from otiier school systems. Tahle 38 answers this ques- 
tion for Niagara Falls. 

T.M$LE 38 
Comparison of age norms, national intelligence scale 

Showing how the children of Niagara Falls, grades 4-7 in two typical schools conip.iii- in 
aljility to learn, with children of other school systems, when compared by age norms 

Median scores attained by pupils of aqc^ 
School system 9 9^ 10 lO'i 11 11'/^ 12 12;^ 13 li'/$ 14 14^ 15 

Niagara Falls 36 67 73 73 88 84 96 100 88 lOll 105 78 88 

Four New York cities 60 69 76 78 90 90 94 lOS 107 102 106 110 102 
Provisional age 

standards.. 78 ... 91 ... 103 ... 113 ... 123 ... 131 ... 137 

The data of tahle ?i8 show that the pupils of grades 4 to 7 in the 
two schools tested did not score quite so high on this intelligence 
scale as did pupils of the same age groups of four New York school 
.systems. These data are given as an illustration of a type of study 
that school ofiicials need to make of their schools in order to judge 
accuratel}- the needs and achievement of their ])upils. 

Sttiinnary 

a A so-called intelligence scale should he thought of as a test used 
to measure the ahility of children to learn or to achieve. In some 
sense it may he a measure of ahility to achieve success hoth in school 
work and outside of school. 

b The median scores of the sixth grade groups show a great dif- 
ference in the ahility of children of different schools to achieve. 

c The overage or retarded pujjils have much less ahility than the 
pupils of normal age to achieve success in school work; and, on ac- 
count of their overage, have a very short time left to remain in school. 

d There is great need of classifying pupils for instructional pur- 
poses according to their i)hysical and mental development, and of 
adapting instructional method and sul)ject matter to their special 
needs. 

c Since ail i)U])ils of the si.xth grade, class of 1920-21, were tested 
with the national intelligence test, the individual records would fur- 
nish a valual)le l)asis for classifying pupils in the seventh grade ac- 
cording to their al)ility to do the work of the seventh grade. 



^ In the above tabic, data for all ages below 9 and above l.S arc omitted because cbiUhcii 
entering the first grade at 6 years of age would not normally reach the fourth grade earlier 
than the ninth year of age; likewise children older than 14 years in the seventh grade would 
be one or more years retarded. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 153 

/ The age factor should be considered, also, in classifying pupils 
for instructional purposes ; that is, two boys, one 12 years old and 
the other 15 years old, scoring 100 on the national intelligence test 
should be placed in different sections because the younger boy is 
capable of progressing through school so very much more rapidly 
than the older one. 

Correspondence between Results of Group Intelligence and 
Standardized Educational Tests 

The relation or correspondence between the results of these two 
types of tests are of interest and of very great value to those re- 
sponsible for the teaching of children. 

Table 34 gave the median score and rank of each of the fourteen 
elementary schools according to the ability of sixth grade pupils 
tested by the national intelligence scale, form A. Table 39 shows 
how the sixth grade of each school ranks on each of the tests given 
as compared with all the other schools. 

Table 39 
Comparison of school ranks 

Rank gained by sixth grade on 
National in- 
School 

Ashland 

Maple 

Fifth 

Tenth 

Third 

Twenty-fourth 

Twenty-second 

Center 

Cleveland 

Sugar 

Whitney 

Ferry 

Niagara 

Thirteenth 

The closest correspondence between test results, as indicated by 
the ranking of schools in table 39, is for the Trabue language and 
the national intelligence scale. Four .schools hold the same rank in 
both tests ; five change rank by one place or less ; four change by two 
places or less, while only one school changes rank position by as 
much as three places. Ranks as to achievement in the writing of 
composition differ more widely from the group intelligence ranks 
than the ranks from any other of the educational tests. In order of 
closeness of correspondence with the ranks obtained from the group 
intelligence tests, the educational tests are as follows : ( 1 ) Trabue 



National in- 




Compre- 








tellipcnce 


Trabue 


hension 


Compo- 




Arith- 


scale 


language 


reading 


sition 


Spelling 


metic 


1 


1 


1 


8 


8 


4 


') 


2 


9 


5 


3 


2 


3 


3 


5 


3. 


5 3 


3 


4.5 


6 


3 


13 


1 


14 


4.S 


5 


5 


3. 


5 6 


1 


6 


7.5 


7.5 


6 


3 


7 


7 


4 


10 


8 


10 


8 


8.S 


10 


7.5 


1 


12.5 


5 


8.5 


7.5 


5 


10 


10 


9 


10.5 


9 


12 


14 


10 


12 


10.5 


11 


2 


11 


14 


6 


12 


12 


12 


2 


12.5 


11 


13 


14 


12 


8 


5 


10 


14 


13 


14 


12 


7 


13 



154 TIIK UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

language scale, (2) comprehension, Monroe silent reading test, (3) 
Woody arithmetic, (4) spelling, (5) composition. 

Assuming that all the test records entering into table 39 are accurate 
measures of the speciiic abilities each is supposed to measure, then 
the difference in quality of teaching would be the prime factor caus- 
ing a school or class on any achievement test to rank higher or lower 
than it did in general or group intelligence. To illustrate, specifically, 
Ashland School ranks 1 on the group intelligence test and 8 in spell- 
ing. This would indicate that Ashland Avenue School pupils have 
not achieved so much in spelling, compared with the achievement of 
other schools, as the general ability of the pupils would warrant. On 
the other hand, Niagara Street School ranked 13 in general intelli- 
gence and 5 in spelling, which would indicate that the spelling achieve- 
ment of pupils in this school is much greater than their general ability 
would lead one to expect. 

A study of the ranks of the different schools shows that Fifth 
Street School had nearly the same rank in each test ; this indicates 
a careful supervision that does not .allow too much or too little em- 
phasis on any important subject. 

Diagnosis of hidlvidual Pupils 
Principals and teachers find it valuable to record the scores made 
by a class on one sheet ; such a record shows that a few pupils who 
score high on the intelligence test score high on each of the educa- 
tional tests, and that others who score low on the one test score low 
on all the others. In classifying jnipils for instructional purposes, 
those i)upils who maintain a relatively high position on all tests 
should be required to do more work than the average of the class, 
while those who maintain a relatively low rank should not be ex- 
pected to do all the work assigned for the average. The pupils who 
attain high scores in ])art of the tests and low scores in other tests, 
present a more difficult problem. Teachers will need to give much 
attention to their .specific needs. 



report of the niagara falls school system 155 

Table 40 
Class record sheet — all tests 

Giving the scores made on each of five tests, by each pupil of a sixth grade class in the 
Twenty-fourth Street School 
Pupils' Arithmetic Reading 
Intelligence Lan- compre- Spell- 
No. Name test A S M D guage hension ing 

1 C. C 64 15 14 .. 11 6 10 60 

2 CD 105 12 12 .. 10 12 13 90 

3 J. G 86 17 16 iO 5 7 9 65 

4 W. G 109 17 18 .. 11 11 ?,i 30 

5 B. G 99 15 15 . . 8 11 18 80 

6 F. G 102 .. 12 13 11 9 18 95 

7 K. K 92 16 14 13 12 12 12 90 

8 D. M 142 15 16 12 11 15 22 95 

9 W. S 10) 17 13 .. 13 12 19 9v 

10 J. S 80 .. . . 12 10 9 9 75 

11 \V. T 114 16 13 13 13 14 20 100 

12 R. VV 105 16 17 12 12 14 16 60 

13 H. W 115 11 11 9 11 15 45 

14 J. W 108 15 16 10 12 14 75 

15 A. A "^i 13 17 11 13 S 13 95 

16 L. B 76 18 14 .. 5 9 17 60 

17 L B 109 13 13 11 7 11 20 100 

18 T. B 7^ 15 15 11 6 11 16 85 

19 M. ]) 71 17 16 . . 13 7 17 75 

20 D. D n8 16 14 11 11 13 21 90 

21 R. D 114 16 13 10 S 11 22 100 

22 M. D 95 18 14 .. 9 12 15 90 

23 C. H 89 15 16 .. 12 11 15 60 

24 L. K 79 16 14 12 10 11 16 95 

25 A. M 94 17 12 11 13 14 18 80 

26 D. M 114 12 15 .. 10 10 16 95 

27 E. P 106 14 12 13 9 11 19 80 

28 A. R 113 16 18 .. 11 11 8 100 

29 L. P 127 18 16 13 10 10 39 95 

30 C. W 107 16 16 13 11 12 21 90 

Summary 

a Pupils of grades 3 to 9 inclusive were tested in spelling, silent 
reading, composition, arithmetic, language and writing. All sixth 
grade pupils of the city, and all pupils above the third grade in two 
typical schools, were tested with the national intelligence scale. 

b The median grade scores for the city as a whole, indicated that 
the children of the grades tested were below the standard or average 
of achievement in other school systems, in general language ability 
and in rate and comprehension of silent reading; but that they were 
somewhat above the average in the fundamentals of arithmetic and 
in writing of composition. The spelling grade scores for upper 
grades were near the standard but were very much lower than should 
be expected in grades 3 and 4. 

c The group intelligence tests showed a wide difference in median 
or average al)ility of the sixth grade groups of dififerent schools to 
do school work, and showed that in some schools there was such a 
wide difference in the al^ility of individual pupils of a class as to make 
satisfactory teaching almost impossible. The study of the two typical 
schools showed that this wide range in ability between classes and 
indivickials aiJjjlies to other grades than the sixth. 



156 TiiK UNivi'.usri'N' ()!■• Till': srAii': oi' n'I'.vv vokk 

h'ccoiiiiih'iuliilions 

1 The rc'sulls ohlaincd Iroiii educational and ^roup intcllif^cncc 
tests shoiikl l)c used as a basis of supervision. 

a Teachers should receive the records of their classes and the 
scores of individual pupils. 

h Teachers and su])ervisory officers should check the results of 
each lest of the individual child against his school achievement, in 
order to learn as nuuh as possible of his needs. 

(■ Supervisory oHicers should discover the methods of teaching 
that have i)ro<luced good test results and should see to it that these 
nieliiods are considered and generally understood by all teachers. 

(/ The initiative of teachers in developing or improving their 
methods or technic should be encouraged by making the results of 
their study and work generally known. 

2 I'upils should be classibed for instructional purposes according 
to their ability to learn. 

a This classification for each pupil should be made on the basis of 
(1) his physical age, (2) his score on a group intelligence test. 
(3) his scores on two or more good educational tests such as arith- 
metic and reading. 

/' Where there are three or more sections of a grade in one build- 
ing, the classification could profitably be made by sections or classes. 

(• Where there is only one section of a grade to a school, then the 
teacher can i)rofitably classify into small grou])s. Preferably, pupils 
should not know on what basis this classification was made; and it 
might differ for different subjects. 

3 Classification of i)upils according to abilits' should \)c made onl\' 
when teachers who are to take the slow or dull, and the bright or 
accelerated groups are interested and desirous of modifying their 
methods and teaching technic to suit the needs of the particular 
group with which they are to work. 

4 A careful study should be made of the abilit\' or intelligence of 
all i)upils in the first five grades of Niagara Falls; those pupils who 
are three or more years retarded or mentally underage should be 
grouped in " special classes " for instruction. 

5 'fhe new junior high school should make thorough provision for 
meeting the needs of overage and underage pupils prouKHed from 
the fourteen elementarv schools. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 157 

10 

HEALTH EDUCATION 

The administration of the program of health education in the city 
of Niagara Falls is organized under two bureaus, one of which may 
be called medical inspection and the other physical education. 

The staff which conducts the medical examinations and tends to 
the follow-up work in the schools consists of one medical inspector 
of schools, four assistant medical inspectors and four nurses. The 
medical inspector of schools is the city health officer and is employed 
by the municipal authorities. He is designated by the board of edu- 
cation as medical inspector of schools but is paid no salary by the 
education authorities. 

The work in physical education is under the immediate direction 
of the superintendent of schools and includes one supervisor of 
physical education and two special physical education instructors. 

Medical Inspection 

The city health officer, who is also the medical inspector of schools, 
has immediate direction of the medical inspection program through- 
out the school system. He receives an annual salary as health officer 
of $3000 which is paid by the city. He is paid no salary by the board 
of education. It is stipulated in his contract with the city that he shall 
perform the duties of medical inspector of schools. The board of 
education appoints the health officer of the city as chief medical 
inspector of schools without salary. 

There are four assistant medical inspectors of schools. These four 
assistant medical inspectors are employed by the board of education 
at a compensation of $40 a month or $400 each for the school year. 
The total amount paid Ijy the board of education for the services of 
the four part-time school medical inspectors is $1600. 

No definite time is devoted to school service by the chief 
medical inspector of schools. He maintains one central office in 
which he administers the affairs of the health department of the city 
and those of school medical inspection. He also has a private office 
in the same building in which he specializes in X-ray work. His 
time is therefore divided among these three fields of activity. Under 
this plan, only a small portion of his time can be devoted to actual 
school medical inspection. 



158 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Each assistant school medical inspector is expected to devote one 
hour a day for five days a week to school medical inspection. It 
remains to each assistant inspector to determine when this service 
shall be rendered. Three schools are assigned to each assistant 
medical inspector while the two remaining schools are looked after 
by the chief medical inspector. There is no definite time schedule 
or program recjuired of any school physician. The annual report of 
the school medical inspector for the year 1918-19 indicates that the 
total number of hours spent in school by the entire staff of school 
physicians was 145. The number of inspections was 329. The total 
number of physical examinations made was 4876. There were also 
20 house calls. The smallest number of hours spent in school during 
the school year by any school physician was 19. The largest number 
was 34. One of the school physicians made 1435 physical examina- 
tions ; another made only 359. It is probably unreasonable to expect 
more thorough attention to this phase of the school health program 
until the dual organization which now obtains has been corrected. 
It is unfortunate that the school medical inspector is not directly 
responsible to the local school authorities. 

There are four full-time school nurses, three of whom are em- 
ployed by the board of education. The fourth school nurse is paid 
by the municipal authorities. The school nurses are employed for 
12 months with a three weeks* vacation for each nurse. They are 
on duty for 6 hours of each school day and are subject to call if 
needed on Saturday mornings. The schools are grouped with cer- 
tain schools assigned to each nurse. Previous to the past year there 
were only three school nurses. Appreciating, however, the need of 
additional service of this character another nurse was added to the 
staff. Definite school and day assignments are made by the chief 
school medical inspector. The school nurses receive their instructions^ 
from the chief .school medical inspector and submit their reports to 
him at the central office. 

A school dental dispensary is maintained by the l)oard of educa- 
tion in the building occupied by the chief school medical inspector. 
A dentist is paid for three hour service on Saturdays for 10 months 
of the year. This service cost the board of education during the 
past year $340. The equipment of the dental dispensary belongs to 
the school authorities. Supplies for the dispensary are purchased by 
the board of education. A report for the past year shows that 220 
children were in attendance at the dental clinic, that there were 185 
fillings, 180 treatments and 114 extractions. For the coming year 
the board of education has provided for the full-time service of a 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 159 

dentist at an annual salary of $1800. It often happens that excellent 
results are secured by the employment of a full-time dental hygienist. 
Possibly such service might be even more resultful than the present 
plan if there w^ere at the same time attention to follov\^-up and cor- 
rective work in mouth hygiene. 

Undernourished Children 

An examination that v^as made of 3845 health records showed that 
819 children, or approximately 20 per cent, were 10 per cent or more 
underweight. This work is now being followed up in the school sys- 
tem for the purpose of organizing a definite plan for meeting the 
problem. I f the same percentage should prevail there would be found 
approximately 1400 children who are undernourished or underweight 
10 per cent or more. 

Special attention is now being given, as noted below, to the nutri- 
tion of the children in the open-air room and plans are under way 
for serving milk to the undernourished children in some of the other 
schools. As soon as the study has been completed it is the plan of 
the board of education to organize a definite method of meeting this 
problem throughout the entire school system. No systematic effort 
is being made at the present time to meet this situation. 

Open-air Room 

An open-air schoolroom was organized in September 1919 in the 
Ashland Avenue School. It was made by dividing a large room and 
readjusting the windows. It has a capacity of 20 children and has 
been full from the start. The work has been popular with both 
parents and pupils. At the expiration of the first term 7 of the 20 
children had so increased in their weight and general condition that 
it was thought advisable to return them to their regular classrooms. 
These 7 children made an average gain of 11.07 pounds in 5 months, 
while one pupil gained 18 pounds. The other 13 children made an 
average gain of 7.54 pounds in 5 months. All the children gained 
both physically and mentally. 

The children in the open-air room come from all parts of the city. 
Their carfare is paid by the board of education if they come from 
an unusual distance. About 9.30 in the morning, cereal (usually 
puffed wheat or puffed rice) and milk are served. The food served 
at noon includes soup, meat or fish, mashed potato and another vege- 
table (sometimes an tgg salad) and for dessert a choice of prunes, 
jello or other pudding. About 8 quarts of milk are used daily. 



160 THE UNIVERSITY OE THE STATE OE NEW YORK 

The children rest from 1.30 to 2.30 daily. A cot and blanket are 
provided for each child. The window shades are drawn and the 
teacher reads to the children for the first 15 minutes. Hot chocolate 
is provided at 3.15 and the children are dismissed immediately there- 
after. The tables at which the children eat are covered with white 
oilcloth. Outdoor exercise is also a part of the daily program. They 
are weighed every Tuesday and a weight chart is kept for each child. 
The daily cost of the food is approximately 25 cents per capita. 

It is also planned to provide milk for the undernourished children 
in other schools beginning with the next school year. Milk will be 
free to the children whose parents can not afiford to pay the cost. 
I'^rnds for this purpose will be supplied by the board of education. 

Administration of School Medical Inspection 

The administration of the school medical inspection program is, 
as has been noted, entirely in the hands of the medical inspector of 
schools who is at the same time the city health officer. He issues all 
directions to the assistant medical inspectors and to the school nurses, 
and all reports as to the services rendered and results accomplished 
are submitted to him at his central office. Although he submits a 
monthly and annual report to the superintendent of schools as to 
work done, there is a serious lack of understanding and cooperation 
l)etween the school medical inspector and the school authorities. 
Though some good results are being accomplished, the present dual 
plan creates an unfortunate confusion of responsibility of adminis- 
tration and is ineff'ective in the larger results that should be obtained 
from this service. 

At a meeting of the board attended by one of the state representa- 
tives in connection with the progress of the survey a report was sub- 
mitted by the school medical inspector to the board of education quite 
independent of any responsibilit}' to the superintendent of schools. 
A school medical inspector should not function in this manner. The 
school health program should be under the general direction of the 
superintendent of schools no less than any other phase of the school 
activities. This situation must be corrected if the best results in this 
work are to be secured. 

Several of the blank forms used by the medical inspector of schools 
indicate the emphasis that is placed on school medical inspection as 
a function of the city bureau of health. Other forms have on them 
the name of the department of education. The forms not only illus- 
trate the dual authority which obtains, but also indicate the manner 
in which the work is followed up through office records. The forms 



^ 


"1 


III 


"fJI 


'""•fc. 




l^jUM^H^K^ 


. '^'#"^''' 




S^^^^^^M 






^^^^^p X 








_jll 


l^^^H^^^^^^B' 'i^ i.J jI^^^^h 



OPEN-AIR CLASS. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 

Typical of the progressive school program 




ONE OF THE OPEN-AIR CLASSES AT LUNCH 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 161 

used are: (1) health certificate, (2) notification to parent or guar- 
dian, with copy for school nurse, (3) appointment card for school 
dentist, (4) daily report of school nurse, (5) daily report of school 
examiner. This irregularity of forms also contributes to the con- 
fusion in the minds of even teachers as to what department directs 
the administration of the medical inspection law. 

Without question the interest in the schools would be very much 
better served if the board of education should establish a bureau of 
school medical inspection under the general direction of the super- 
intendent of schools subject to the sole authority of the board of 
education. For this purpose a full-time medical inspector should 
be appointed and his duties prescribed. 

For the varied activities connected with this service there might 
well be a health center where the work carried on by the medical 
inspector, assistant school physicians, nurses, dentist and others who 
might be employed in this connection, would be brought together. 
Until some step of this kind is taken the schools will continue to pay 
the penalty of the present dual organization. 

Physical Education 

Physical education was an accepted part of the school program 
in Niagara Falls several years before the passage of the state phys- 
ical training law. The citizens of that city, and especially those 
charged with the education of its children, have therefore had an 
opportunity to sense some of the values of this work and their atti- 
tude toward the state program of physical education and toward 
their own local obligations and opportunities under this program is 
most favorable. 

Physical education activities were observed in the following ele- 
mentary schools : 

School Type of School 

Third Street Mainly American ; one-third of poorer class 

Ferry Avenue Mainly Italian and Polish 

Fifth Street Mainly American 

Twenty-fourth Street . . • 50% American ; 50% foreign, mainly Italian 

Tenth Street 60% American ; 40% Canadian, Italian, Jews, 

Armenians and Assyrians 

This report is based upon observations in these schools, in which 
about 2565 pupils are registered and about 69 teachers employed, 
and upon information gained through the various contacts made. 

As has already been noted, the work in physical education is car- 
ried on by the supervisor of physical education and two special in- 



THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

structors. The sui)ervisor of physical education acts as head of the 
department and i)ersonally sui)ervises the work in all the elementary 
schools. He exercises a general supervision of the work in the high 
school which is in charge of two physical instructors — a man and 
a woman, who have direct charge of the hoys and girls, respectively. 

The head of the physical education department in his supervision 
of the work in the elementary grades spends 15 or 20 minutes in each 
classroom once every three weeks. At the time of these visits he 
demonstrates new relief drills and teaches games and folk dances. 
His schedule provides for a day and a half each week for additional 
supervisory work as needs arise. His program is filled completely 
each day from 9 to 5 o'clock, about one hour being devoted to office 
work after school hours. This supervisory schedule is planned to 
cover fourteen elementary schools, about 150 classroom teachers and 
over 6000 pupils. He is also expected to exercise general supervision 
over the work of the high school instructors and assists in the work 
of some of the athletic teams. This is obviously a more congested 
pn-ogram than one person can handle effectively. 

In the high school six regular classes a day are conducted by each 
physical instructor on four days of the week. One day of each week 
is devoted in part by both physical instructors in the high school to 
visitation of classes for the purpose of oltserving the relief drills 
given by the classroom teachers. 

Facilitii's 

Twelve of the elementary schools are provided with i)laygrounds, 
nine of which are specially prepared and reasonably well ecpiipped 
with permanent apparatus. Attention has already been called in the 
previous preliminary report to the interest which has been shown for 
several years by the local school authorities in providing proper play- 
grounds for the public schools. These grounds are utilized both' 
during the summer month'^ id duF- 'g'tfhe regular school year. This 
policy of providing every 't "le^i.aw school with an adequately 
equipped playground is highly commendal)le and sets an example 
that other school systems would do well to follow. The problem 
which now confronts the staff is to make the best possible use of the 
provision that has l)een made. The local school authorities are using 
every effort to bring about a full recognition of the importance of 
the play life of children. 

Three elementary schools are proxided with swimming ixjols, show- 
ers and dressing rooms. This also is a commendable recognition of 
the right of childhood to one of the most benelicial and useful forms 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 163 

of exercise and recreation and ser^'es alike both sexes and all ages 
in all seasons. 

Unfortunately there is no suitable indoor space for physical edu- 
cation in any of the Niagara brails elementary schools at the present 
time. It is gratifying, however, to be able to report that the new 
building program recently passed l)y the citizens of that city provides 
for two new junior high schools, each to contain two gymnasiums, 
or a double gymnasium, and a swimming pool. It is hoi)C(l that these 
new buildings may relieve the crowded conditions in the elementary 
. schools so that a much needed playroom may be provided in every 
elementary school. It is suggested that a double classroom, if pos- 
sible, be made available for indoor physical education in every school. 
When suitable indoor space is i)ro\ided the matter of the proper 
equipment and sup])lies will doubtless receive attentioiL As a tem- 
porary provision this ])lan is perhaps feasible. Inasmuch as weather 
and ground conditions during the winter season are not suitable for 
many of the usual outdoor school games and also since no indoor 
])layspace is at present available, the more exteiLsive organization and 
supervision of outdoor activities during the fall and spring seasons 
may merit consideration. 

The present facilities consist of a gymnasium for girls in the high 
school building, which is used at the noon hour as a lunch room, and 
a temporary frame building on the school grounds for the use of the 
boys. Unequipped outdoor space is available on the school grounds 
for outdoor activities and is fully utilized in good weather by the 
boys. The girls' gymnasium is equipped with a small amount of 
apparatus and the boys' building has a few pieces of heavy apparatus 
and basketball goals. Altogether the eijuipment seems inadequate 
for physical education but is ])erhaps as good as might reasonably be 
expected under the conditions of inadecptate space that ol)tain. 

The lack of adecjuate provision. <" this-;>/;Q.rk is recognized by the 
local school authorities and the wcvv >u' ij ;^".i)rogram includes plans 
for a high school annex, which will contam a new gymnasium for 
boys or perhaps two gymnasiums, one for boys and one for girls, in 
case it is found to be unwise in the further development of the build- 
ing plans to retain the present gymnasium for girls. It is expected 
that these plans will provide for dressing rooms and shower baths, 
offices for the physical directors, and the necessary equipment so that 
the jthysical education department may l)e well provided to carry on 
its work. No swimming facilities are i)larined for the high school at 
the present time l)Ut it is expected that the pool in the new junior 



164 iiii'; uNivi'.usi'iY oi' thic static oi' new york 

high sdiool to I)c loc'itcd near llic present lii^li school ina\' he ulilizcd 
by the lii,i;li school pupils. 

The classroom teachers in Niaj^ara halls show an excellent si)irit 
in connection with the worl< which the)' are doinj,^ in ])hysical educa- 
tion and in many res])ects are doini,^ \-ery coniiiiendahle work. In 
common with classroom teachers ,L',enerall\ thronmhout the State, they 
need .systematic rmd progressive training and help in this work hy the 
well-(|tKdiried physical education specialist. yXlthough the program 
for the rt'lief drills varies considerably through the grades, classroom 
teailu'rs give this work regidarly and are making commendable efforts 
to secure the c()ntem])lated value of these drills. The relief and 
hygienic values of this work were noted. The corrective, educational 
and disciplinai\' values ha\e not yet receivetl full emphasis. 

I'osture tests of the children have not been made, though the 
medical inspectors doubtless noted the more serious cases of poor 
posture. It does not seem probable, however, that the cursor}- nota- 
tions of posture usuall}- made hy the medical inspectors once a year 
should be considered sul'ficient. The matter of good posture is an 
important and often a lomplex problem. All fonual plusical exer- 
cises should be selected and taught partl\' with the gof)d-])Osture idea 
in mind; the physical director and room teacher are therefore likel\- 
to becomi' careful obserxcrs in this respect. This training for good 
])osture may be closely linked with i)eriodical posture tests in stand- 
ing, luarching and exercising and it is suggested that the i)hysical 
director gix'c C(»nsideration to this problem and gra<luall\' train the 
lyt" of (he room teatber to assist him. The training and habituation 
of children to good postmx' must be stinuilated from several angles 
and shotdd he made ])ractical in relation to xocational or other em- 
])loyments. .Search lor the c.-mses ol ]ioor posture and the selection 
ol suitable correctixc" measures ofl'er ;ni o])portunit\' for correlatioij 
of work with tlu' medical inspectors and nurses. Man\ cases mav 
impro\i> throngh proper exercise alone, some ma\- im])ro\c through 
the ii'peati'd .admonitions ol the rootu teacln'r, others iua\' be due to 
finiction.il or org.anii' delects and wcvt] the advice ol the physician, 
and so on. In some cases all these agencies ma\' be necessary. 

The time planned lor relief di'ills in the high school consists of 
li\e foiu" minute periods daily. This is a liberal allotment of time 
for this work and it given ellicientb' should si'cure the desired re- 
sults. A continued ;ni(l increased emphasis on the corrective aims 
of these drills is needed in the high school as well as in the eleiuentarv 
grades and sliould bring about a well-b.alanced result. I'Aerv pos- 
sible hel]) and attention is needed from the phvsical instructors in 



KKl'OKT OI'" TIIK NI.\(;AUA iAI.I.S SCIIOOI, SYSTI'-IVT 165 

Drder to make it most elTective. (iames, athletics, folk dances, j^ym- 
i;astic exercises and supervised ])lay <ire emphasized in accordance 
with the i^'^eneval plans in clTect thronj^honl the Slate in so far as the 
facilities in the schools make this j^ro^^ram possihle. y\ttention has 
already been called to the splendid efforts that have been mad(; hy 
the local school authorities to insure jjlayj^round opportunities in 
c()miection with the elementary schools. i'\ill advantaj^e of this o])- 
])ortunity has nc)t yet heen taken hut is ra])idly under way. The work 
observed was lar}.(ely in<loors. (lames an<l folk dancinj^' constitute 
the hulk of the e.xercises used. 

It is likely that the ])ossil)le values of supervised ]>lay, ^ames and 
other recreatixe activities will he only fractional until adequate indoor 
sjjace for this work is ])r(n'ided. This situation, however, suj^^j^ests 
the possihilitv of (n-j,f<ani/.in^ aufl conductin,:;' more extensive outdoor 
work during the tall and spring. ICven on ^(hh\ winter days mucli 
outdoor work may he prolitahly conducted, hoik dances and a wise 
selection of such indoor ^ames as meet the needs of the pu])ils and 
as can he conducted jtrofitahly in the classrooms may he reserved for 
mdfjor use when conditions prevent outdoor work. 

The hijj^h school i)Upils are j^^iven two .\S-niinute (net) periods a 
week under the sjjecial teaching o\ the ])hysical directors. This w(jrk 
consists of jjymnastics, games, athletics, folk dancinj^, calisthenics 
and marching. The recreative, hygienic, social and (lisci])linary values 
of this training were noted hy the insj)ector, es]>ecially in the girls' 
classes. The hoys show a commendahle s])irit in connectic^n with 
this work in spite of inccjuveniences and i)oor facilities. The girls 
wear a regulation gymnastic costume for their work; the hoys have 
no dressing rooms hut wear ruhher-soled shoes. 

The oi)tion of acce])ting (nitside e(|uivalents in the form of home 
or community activities of the pu])ils for a ])art of the refjuired su])er- 
vised recreation, as ])rovided for in the state svllal)us on ])hvsical 
training, has not as yet heen systematicall)- administered. The value 
of utilizing this o])tion is found in ])art in the opportunity thus offered 
the department of physical education for inlhicncing the lives of the 
pui)ils after they leave the school grounds, of thus extending its 
influence, and of establishing a closer correlation among the home, 
the comiunnity and the st-hool. This phase of the work constitutes 
a definite opjKjrtunity and problem and will demand careful thought 
in order to get the realization of its i)tn"poses. 

It is ho])ed that when the new gymnasium is ready the high school 
luay be able to meet in full the minimum time-re(|uirements of the 
.State under this division of the [jrograru. 



166 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

The physical directors should be cautioned against " letting down " 
in their enthusiasm and purposef ulness and should be guarded against 
falling into perfunctory routine performance. Every procedure and 
every lesson should constitute a part of a larger intelligent progressive 
plan, that is concerned fundamentally with the welfare of the pupils 
rather than with the procedures themselves. 

Extension Activiiics 

Extension, or extra-curriculum, activities in the majority of the 
schools are confined almost entirely to the spring season. During 
this season interschool l)aseball and track athletics are conducted 
lor the sixth, seventh and eighth grades and the statewide physical 
ability tests are made in the seventh and eighth grades. No after- 
school recreation clubs or leagues for comi)etitive activities have been 
organized during the current school year. No recreation centers are 
available except at the Y. M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A., which serve 
some of the older pupils after school. 

The three schools that have swimming pools, however, provide for 
optional instruction and practice in swimming. This work is under 
the supervision of swimming instructors and provides one 25-minute 
period a week for children from the fourth to the eighth grades. The 
pools are used four days a week, two hours a day, from 3 to 5 p. m. 
The water is changed once a week. The girls use the pools the first 
two days and the boys the second two days. Temperature of the 
water is kept at 72 to 76 degrees and the temperature of the room at 
76 to 84 degrees. A large percentage of the children in these schools, 
especially the boys, enjoy the swimming privileges. The possibility 
of extending the use of these pools to the children of schools where 
no swimming facilities are available is suggested. It is also suggested 
that the matter of effective sanitation of the pools be carefully ad- 
ministered in order that no doubt may arise as to their sanitary 
condition. 

The girls' swimming classes are under the expert supervision of 
a woman and the ])oys' classes under the expert supervision of two 
men who teach other special subjects in the schools. At the time of 
the visits by the inspector the pools were closed on account of epi- 
demics of scarlet fever and diphtheria, hence no opportunity was 
available for observation of this commendable work. 

In the high school local and interschool athletic contests are con- 
ducted during the fall, winter and spring seasons. These activities 
include basketball, baseball, and track athletics. The extensive or- 
ganization of local recreation leagues has not been emphasized as 




SWIMMING POOL IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 

This is a regular feature of the physical education program in the 
elementary schools 




TENTH STREET SCHOOL AND PLAYGROUND 

Indicates the emphasis being given by the local school authorities to 
adequate play space 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 167 

\et, due perhaps in part to the lack of adequate facihties. Prehm- 
inary contests are held for the selection of representative school 
teams. The annual physical ability tests for all classes and both 
sexes are conducted in the spring. Commendable interest was mani- 
fested in these tests last year. It is suggested that indoor efficiency 
tests and outdoor and indoor recreation clubs be considered in con- 
nection with the program of extracurricula activities. The objective 
in this work should be service to every pupil, if possible. 

Correlation of Activities 

There is every opportunity for a better correlation of the work of 
physical director, physician and school nurse. The interests of the 
school physician and school nurse are largely interests in corrective 
and medical phases of the problem, while the interests of the physical 
director are largely with the further advancement of those who are 
apparently physically normal. 

The former retains an interest in the defective and discards the 
apparently normal with perhaps too little concern with the possibility 
that some of those so" discarded may soon appear before them as 
defectives ; the latter devotes his attention mainly to the apparently 
normal children and throws out the defectives, often not realizing 
that through the lack of proper knowledge of the possibilities and 
limitations of his pupils his efiforts may be unwisely applied. The 
former, so to speak, are playing defensive and the latter offensive, in 
the game of health. 

It would seem that the work of these two units should be brought 
into a more positive and effective correlation. The physical directors 
must be concerned with all the pupils — the weak, the under- 
nourished, the malformed, the otherwise defective, as well as with 
the physically normal — and they need the help that the physicians 
and nurses can give in fitting their work to the needs of the pupils. 
Likewise the physicians and nurses must be concerned in the forward- 
looking, educational aspect of their service — the adaptation of health 
and other school procedures to the processes of growth, the main- 
tenance of normal vigor, the prevention of defects and of interfer- 
ences with normal development, the overcoming of certain hereditary 
tendencies, the health engineering of the normal child, as well as 
with the correction of wrong health habits and physical defects — 
and they need the help that the physical directors can give on this 
side of the problem. There are perhaps a few children who need 
immediately the exclusive attention of the one or the other, but the 
far greater majority occupy the middle ground and need the services 



168 THE UNIV]:RSITY ok the state of new YORK 

of hotli. This fact and the further fact that tlic results of the work 
of these two classes of experts are closely interrelated sut^'^est the 
need for a very close correlation, coordination and sympathetic team 
work among the ])hysicians, the physical directors and the school 
iiurses. vSuch organized cooperation would dotihtless result in a 
fuller and more effective luiderstanding oi their respective roles in 
the whole program and of the purposes, the i)ossil)ilities, the proh- 
lems. the limitations, and the general and special correlations of the 
work in this held of educational service. 

It would seem wise for these experts to get together often, to dis- 
cuss their work with one another, to exchange viewpoints and to 
formulate a systematic method of general and special cooperation so 
that their comhined talent might reach and heneht the individual 
pu])il. 

The records kei)t hy the physical education department cover the 
classroom visitations hy the sui)ervisor, the annual physical ahility 
tests of the seventh and eighth grade pupils, and of the interschool 
athletics of the sixth, seventh and eighth grades during the spring 
season. These records ustially include the results of competitions 
in baseball and track athletics. Records of posture and malnutrition 
are ke])t by the medical inspector, as also are the records of de- 
fectives and the work of the school nurses. It would seem that some 
of these records should be available to the physical education depart- 
ment, such, for example, as the ])osture records, the records of mal- 
nutrition cases, and data regarding the height and weight of pupils. 
This offers a further opportunity for correlation of the work of these 
two departments. 

This complete correlation may not be possible until a delhiite plan 
oi organization has been worked out whereby school medical in- 
sjiectors will cease to be a function of the municipal authorities and 
l)ecome a definite function of the board of education. The present 
arrangement is illogical and can not result in the best conditions for 
health supervision in the public schools. 

Summary 
Not one feature in connection with the health education work in 
the Niagara Falls school system is more important than a modified 
organization which will place the administration and supervision of 
the work of medical inspector under the direction of the local school 
authorities. The present dual control is unsatisfactory and in- 
efficient. The care of the health in the schools is not a function of 
ihe municipal authorities; it is in every sense an important part of 
the educational service. 



REPORT OF THK NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 169 

The extension of the work that is l^eing done through the oi)en-air 
schools and through special lunches to undernourished children is 
most imi)ortant and should be gradually developed as the facilities of 
the school plant may make this extension possible. 

Additional assistants in the field of physical education are im- 
portant. More effective help should be given to classroom teachers 
with their part of the physical education program. Further as- 
sistance is essential in order that the plans and purposes of this work 
may be fully realized and that needed assistance may be given to the 
teachers, not only through conference, but also to the pupils in con- 
nection with the indoor and outdoor phases of the physical training 
program. 

The importance of providing adecjuate indoor space for physical 
education in the elementary schools will doubtless be recognized in 
connection with the new building program that is now under way. 
More adequate use of the splendid playground facilities which have 
been provided in connection with the elementary schools will be pos- 
sible only through the securing of some additional service in this 
field. 

The elementary schools may properly claim need of additicjnal 
personal assistance in connection with this work. 

It is to the credit of the local school authorities that provision has 
been made in three of the elementary schools for swimming pools, 
showers and dressing rooms. This is a commendable recognition of 
the rights of the children for this beneficial exercise. The use of the 
swimming pools might well be extended, if possible, to serve the 
children of other nearby schools and also to serve other community 
groui)S when the regular work of the school is not in progress. 

With the development of the new building program and with some 
slight addition to the personal staff, there may be careful selection 
and organization of materials with some needed elasticity in the 
program which will possibly better meet the needs of individual 
pupils. In many respects most excellent work is now being done in 
the field of health education. The suggested modifications may make 
possible clearer correlation of effort' and even better service as the 
larger school program for the city is realized. 



170 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

11 

THE SCHOOL PLANT 

The city of Niagara Falls has had such a rapid growth in popula- 
tion during the past few years that a study of the needs of the school 
plant in terms of the prohable growth during the next decade or 
score of years, becomes a difficult problem. 

According to the federal census in 1910 Niagara Falls had a popu- 
lation of 30,445. The state census of 1915 gave the city a popula- 
tion of 42,259, an increase of 11,814, or 38.8 per cent, during this 
five-year period. 

The population in 1920, according to the federal census, had in- 
creased to 50,760, an increase of 20 per cent over 1915, and 66 per 
cent over the population of 1910. 

The school population of Niagara Falls, as indicated by the reports 
of puljlic school attendance for the past two decades, has been grow- 
ing rapidly. 

Table 41, giving the registration and attendance for each year of 
this 21 -year period, shows the large increase during the latter part 
of this period. 

Table 41 
Annual registration and average daily attendance in public schools, 

1900-20 

Year 
1899-1900 

1900- 1 

1901- 2 

1902- 3 

1903- 4 

1904- 5 

1905- 6 

1906- 7 

1907- 8 

1908-9 

1909-10 

1910-11 

1911-12 

1912-13 

1913-14 

1914-15 

1915-16 

1916-17 

1917-18 

1918-19 

1919-20 





Average daily 


Rcgixtration 


attendance 


3 128 


2 263 


3 255 


2 509 


4 071 


2 772 


4 242 


2 818 


4 696 


3 232 


4 602 


3 170 


4 464 


3 608 


4 507 


3 442 


4 496 


3 395 


4 650 


3 688 


4 751 


3 673 


4 877 


3 866 


5 141 


4 103 


5 509 


4 282 


5 790 


4 367 


6 004 


5 013 


6 288 


5 235 


6 847 


5 621 


7 133 


5 914 


7 686 


6 232 


8 051 


6 578 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 171 

During the school year 1899-1900 the total registration in the 
pubHc schools of the city was 3128, and the average daily attendance 
2263; for the year 1909-10 the total registration was 4751, and the 
average daily attendance 3673 ; during the year 1919-20, the total 
registration was 8051. and the average daily attendance 6578. The 
increase in registration from 1900 to 1910 was 52 per cent, and in 
average daily attendance 62 per cent. From 1910 to 1920 the in- 
crease in registration was 69 per cent, and in average daily attend- 
ance 79 per cent. 

The actual increase in the registration in the public schools each 
year during the past 10 years and the percentage of increase from 
vear to vear, is shown in table 42. 



Table 42 
gistration during the 

bicrcasc 
rcgistrat 
126 


past 

' in 
ion 


decade 

Percentage of 

increase 

.026 


264 


.054 


368 


.071 


281 


.051 


214 


.037 


284 


.047 


559 


.088 


286 


.042 


553 


.077 


365 


.047 



Y'cars compared 

1911 over 1910 

1912 over 1911 

1913 over 1912 

1914 over 1913 

1915 over 1914 

1916 over 1915 

1917 over 1916 

1918 over 1917 

1919 over 1918 

1920 over 1919 

For the 10-year period 1910-1920: 

Average annual increase in registration 330 

Average percentage of annual increase 5.4 

For the 5-year period 1915-1920: 

Average annual increase in registration 409 

Average percentage of annual increase ' 6.0 

The annual increase in the registration has been somewhat greater 
during the past five years than for the 10-year period. While the 
annual increase for the 10-year period has been slightly above 5 per 
cent, during the last five years the average annual increase has been 
6 per cent. For the past year the increase was 4.7 per cent. It 
would therefore seem to be a conservative statement to estimate the 
annual increase in the school population for the next decade at 5 per 
cent each year. The probability is that this will be exceeded. 



\72 TllK UNIVI:KS1TY ok TIII', STATK 01'' NKW YORK 

With a i)resent total registration of 8051, an annual increase of 
5 ])er cent would mean a registration of 10,275 in 1925. This is 

shown in talilc 4.^. 

TaijM': 43 

Estimated registration based on a 5 per cent annual increment 

I iinu'iih'iil 

]'i\ir rsliiiutlcd 5% Ri'ijistratiuii 

1920 .... 8 051 (actual) 

. 1921 402 8 453 

1922 423 8 876 

1923 444 9 320 

1924 466 9 786 

1925 48') 10 275 

This cstiniak'd increase in registration of 5 ])er cent each year 
shows a total increase of 27.5 i)er cent for ihe 5-\ear period. This 
would ai)pear to he a low estimate, as the total increase for the past 
5 years has heen 34 per cent. On this hasis the registration will he 
over 10,000 hy l'»25 and l)y I'MO in excess of 13,000. The wisdom 
of the school authorities and the civic organizations in making a 
ihorougli study of the ])resent situation in order to adopt a hroad 
policy covering the school huiiding program, is at once apparent. 

The rapid growth ni the school population during the past decade 
has placed a hea\v res])onsihilitv on the local .school authorities. 
That the situation is ajiitreciated hy them is evident from the thought 
and study now heing given to the ])rohlem. 

The present school plant consists of thirteen elementary school 
huildings and one high school huiiding. The laymrui is impressed 
immediately with the excellent general ai)pearance of the huildings 
.'ind grounds. The huildings, however, as a group do not i)rovide 
for the educational opportunities which should he offered hoys and 
girls in a progressive industrial community of today. In the details 
of the huiiding i)l.'nis there are many serious faults which thrust 
them.selves upon the attention of the expert in school affairs though 
they might readily escape the notice of others. 

It may he of interest first of .all to review^ the situation hriefl)' 
historically, noting the years in which school huildings have heen 
erected. Following this historical summary will he given a detailed 
evaluation of the jiresent school ])lant in terms of the comnnmitv 
needs. 

Of the thirteen elementary school huildings, the oldest is the h'ifth 
Street huiiding, erected in 1855. The ('lc\ eland Avenue School was 
erected in 1872, in the udrthern part of the city, then known as 



Kl'.l'Oin ()|- Till-, NIACAKA I'AI.I.S SCIIOOI, SYSTI'.M 173 

Siis|)ciisi()ii r.iidj^c. r.olli liiiil(iiiit;s have; lutcii somcwlial remodeled 
siiuc llie dales j^iveii Iml deliiiile iiifonnatioii as lo exact lime wlieii 
ehaiij^es were made is iiol availaMe. 'I'liese two buildings, one in 
Niaj^ara l^'alls proper and tlie other in Suspension I'.ridj^c, apparently 
met the c-<hieat ioii.d needs initil afl<T (he two im orporated commun- 
ities were united in I.S'i.'l. These hiiildinj^s were douhtless Icnated in 
or near what were piohahly the centers of population at that time. 

In IH'^5 the Suf^ar Sticel hnildini;. an eight room elementary 
school, was ere( ted in the southern part of the ( ity. Some time later 
one room was added. In IS')/ two (jthcr huiUlings were added the 
Third Street School, a huilding of six rooms near the husiness center 
of the city, and the eight room Whitney Avenue School, in the 
northern central part of the city, to which a four-room additi(jn has 
heen made this year. In the following year the Center Avenue 
hnilding, an eight loom school, was erected some distance north of 
the ( 'le\cl;in(l /\venn<' S< hool. huring the late nineties, therefore, 
the |)opnlation was growing hoth n(»rtli and south along the Niagara 
rivei". The loiu" htiildings elected during this peri(»d, however, were 
not laige, one heing a six-room hnilding and the other three heing 
eight room huildings. 

In l''().^ two elementary huildings, the ele\'en room h'erry Avenue 
Scho(tl ;iii(l the ten room Ashland Avenue School, were erected. 
Apparently the population was increasing somewhat more rapidly in 
the central sections of the city hoth east and west. In the s.ame 
)cai" the present high school hnilding was erected. It is piohahly 
one of the lirst high sclujol huildings of its type, s(|uare, with class- 
rooms, recitation rooms, lecture rooms, and lahor;itories on the out- 
side an<l with auditorium and g\ninasiuni in the rear center. I he 
gi'onnds .nc mmsually spacious and attractively laid out. It is tni- 
<!(juhtedly an excellent hnilding for its purpose and compaics very 
favonihly with high school huildings ol lli;it peiiod. 

I'ive yenrs latei, in I'^O'^ three hniMings were erected. The 
twelve-room TwenlN second .Street .School provided loi- grcjwth in 
])opuIation in the sec tion of the city directly east of the old Cleveland 
AvcMiuc- .School; and the- ten-room Thirteenth .Street .School was 
huilt to the erisi of the husiness secticju in tlic' direction c)f the h'erry 
Avenue .School. An aclditiou of four rooms has hccn ni.idc' to the 
Thiilccnih .Street .School clnriiig the present year. In I'XjS there 
was also cmcc ted the Maple- Avenue- .School, a two room huilcling in 
the extreme nurthern enci of the- city hctween the .\'ew \ Ork ("enlral 
K'ailro.'id an<l the ri\c'i. huring the ])ast few years this part ol the 



174 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

city has developed as a desirable residential section. Two rooms 
have been added to the Maple Avenue School this year. 

Two Iniildings have been erected since 1908. The Tenth Street 
School, a twelve-room building, was erected in 1914 directly east of 
the Fifth Street building not far from the high school; and in 1918 
the Twenty-fourth Street School, a twelve-room building, was 
erected on the eastern side of the city in a rapidly growing foreign 
section. 

It is apparent, therefore, that during the past 11 years twenty-four 
looms have been added to the school plant through new buildings, 
and ten rooms have been added the past year by additions to other 
luiildings. Estimating these thirty-four rooms as accommodating 40 
pupils to a room, the number of pupils for whom .new provision has 
been made is 1360.'^ During the past 10 years, however, the in- 
crease in registration has been 3036. It is not surprising, therefore, 
that in some of the buildings several classes in the lower grades are 
on half time. 

Table 44 may l^e of interest in making more clear the facts relative 
to the development of the school plant during the period covered by 
this brief summary. 



1 Another new building is now under construction. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 



175 



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176 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

The school buildings were judged on the basis of the Strayer 
" Score Card for City School Ikiildings." This card, which repre- 
sents the consensus of judgment of a large numl)er of school people 
in all parts of the country, as worked out with every care under 
Doctor Strayer's direction, assigns 1000 points as the maximum score 
of an ideal city school building and grounds and divides these points 
in general as follows: site, 125; building, 165; classrooms, 290; 
special rooms, 140; service systems, 280. 

Each of these general topics is further subdivided as illustrated 
below : 

I Site 125 

o Location 55 

( 1 ) Accessibility 25 

(2) Environment 30 

b Drainage 30 

( 1 ) Elevation 20 

(2) Nature of soil 10 

c Size and form 40 

Detailed statements of standards upon which scores are based, are 
provided. 

Each school building in Niagara Falls was scored independently 
l)y three meml)ers of the survey staff and the sum of the median 
scores assigned l)y the sei)arate scorers was taken as the final score 
for each building. 

The detailed score for each building as given in table 45 shows 
the relative weight assigned to each heading and subheading. The 
maximum or highest possible score is given in the first and second 
columns, the first column giving the assignment for the five main 
headings and the second column giving the distribution of these 
])oints among the sul)hea(lings. Following this is the score for each 
of the school l)uildini>s of the citv. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 



177 



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178 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

The median score for each elementary building arranged in the 
order of its relative rank according to this scale, is as follows : 

School Points 

Sugar Street 555 

Cleveland Avenue 578 

Fifth Street 581 

Third Street 603 

Ferry Avenue 660 

Twenty-second Street 666 

Maple Avenue 672 

Whitney Avenue 676 

Ashland Avenue 687 

Center Avenue 698 

Tenth Street 722 

Thirteenth Street 728 

Twenty-fourth Street 821 

Total of 8 647 

Out of possible 13 000 

It is apparent from this table that the median score of the thirteen 
buildings is 676 points. As a whole, the elementary school plant 
scores only 8647 points out of a possible 13.000. The percentage of 
possible points scored l)y the elementary school buildings was 66.5. 

It is ol)served that of the thirteen buildings three are in the group 
below 600. Two of these buildings, the Cleveland Avenue School 
and the Fifth Street School, should probably be abandoned. That is 
to say, as the local authorities develop a school building program to 
meet the needs of the city for the next 15 or 20 years, it will doubt- 
less be found wise and economical to abandon these buildings as soon 
as the development of the new building program makes adequate 
provision for the children of these centers. As is stated in the sum- 
mary of the score of the Cleveland Avenue building, " It is recom- 
mended that an enlargement of this site or a new site be secured and 
a modern building erected at the earliest opportimity as it seems 
l)robable that to make extensive repairs to this l)uilding so as to 
secure sufficient light, new floors, a sound roof and proper toilet 
accommodations, would cost so much that the results would not 
justify such outlay." 

The Sugar Street School, which was given a rating of 555 points 
out of a possible 1000, is given this low rank largely because of the 
total inadequacy of the heating, ventilating and toilet systems. 
The conditions were such that no credit whatever could be given in 
the score under either of tiiese headings. With these features re- 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 179 

placed with adequate equipment and other minor changes made, the 
building might easily rank well up in the 600 class. 

With the exception of two buildings, Fifth Street School built in 
1855 and Cleveland Avenue School built in 1872, the buildings 
throughout the city are reasonably modern. The first period of de- 
velopment of the school plant was between 1895 and 1899 when four 
buildings were erected and one was enlarged. The next period of 
enlargement was from 1903 to 1908 when five elementary schools 
were built and the present high school plant was completed. The 
two most recent buildings and the recent additions may be regarded 
as the beginning of a new period during which the city is to formu- 
late definitely a broad school i)olicy providing for enlarged educa- 
tional opportunities for all, and to inaugurate a school building pro- 
gram which will not only provide needed space for the school popula- 
tion but make possible the development of a broader educational 
l)rogram for the needs of the entire community. 

Adequate playground space is a fundamental requirement of the 
modern school plant. Authorities dififer as to what constitutes rea- 
sonable space for recreational activities. It is conservative to state, 
however, that 30 square feet of playground space to a pupil is an 
irreducible minimum for this purpose, and that the aim in school 
planning should be to provide much more generously for the ovitdoor 
recreation of the pupils. 

The playground area of the elementary schools of Niagara Falls, 
as shown by the number of square feet to a pupil for each school, 
varies frorn the entire lack of playground space at the Sugar Street 
School to 162 square feet to a pupil at the Maple Avenue School. 
The situation in this respect at each school may be observed from 
table 46. 

Table 46 
Playground space 

Playground Square feet 

School area Enrolment^ to a pupil 

Sugar Street none 398 .... 

Whitney Avenue 5 000 371 13 

Fifth Street 12 S84 719 17 

Cleveland Avenue 16 356 840 19 

Center Avenue • 6 516 324 20 

Tenth Street 14 464 490 29 

Ashland Avenue 1 1 560 342 34 

Thirteenth Street 20 160 539 37 

Third Street 8 660 217 40 

Twenty-second Street 31 244 526 59 

Ferry Avenue 40 478 465 87 

Twenty-fourth Street 65 000 591 110 

Maple Avenue 20 000 123 162 

High School 20 500 742 27 

(baseball) 



^ As given to the representative of the State Department, by the principal at the time of 
the visit. 



180 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Although the Sugar Street School has no playground, it has the 
use of a large adjoining field which has been granted by one of the 
local power companies for this purpose. Of the other twelve ele- 
mentary schools, eight have sufficient playground area to meet the 
minimum of 30 square feet to a pupil. Several exceed the minimum 
by a wide margin. 

The Whitney Avenue School has a playground of less than one- 
half the needed area. The Fifth Street and the Cleveland Avenue 
Schools have 54 per cent and 64 per cent respectively of the minimum 
playground area desirable. The Center Avenue School has two- 
thirds of the needed area for playgrounds. 

It is apparent that the great importance of providing proper 
recreational space is appreciated by the board of education. 
Recently additional land has been purchased for playground pur- 
poses adjacent to several schools, as follows: Fifth Street, Third 
Street, Whitney Avenue, Ferry Avenue, Twenty-second Street, Thir- 
teenth Street, Ashland Avenue and Maple Avenue. This indicates 
public appreciation of the large importance in the educational pro- 
gram of one of the fundamental school activities. In all future 
school planning the 1)oard of education might well meet the standard 
which it has set in the large playground area recently added to the 
Ferry Avenue School, or the even higher standard which has been 
so wisely set in providing for the large playground area when prop- 
erly developed in connection with the new Twenty-fourth Street 
School. 

The wise policy now being followed by the board of education in 
enlarging the playground space and thereby increasing the oppor- 
tunity for recreational activities, will mean that in time all the play- 
grounds will be furnished with suitable apparatus and that they will 
be available for play and supervised recreation during the summer 
vacation and on Saturdays as well as during the school sessions. 

While it is not the purpose of this preliminary study to enter into 
a detailed discussion of the interior arrangement of rooms and the 
sanitary and hygienic conditions of the buildings, attention should be 
called to some facts which show the necessity of certain improve- 
ments in the school plant to insure the l)est possible conditions for the 
school population. 

Of the 155 rooms in the elementary school buildings, including 
4 study halls and 13 recitation rooms, only 26 meet the minimum 
legal requirements in respect to all three factors, floor area, 
air space and window area. The floor area is sufficient in 120 
rooms, deficient in 34 rooms, and 1 room is not seated. The air 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 181 

Space is sufficient in only 72 rooms. Only 37 rooms meet the mini- 
mum requirement as to window area. In six buildings not a single 
room has sufficient window area, and in another building only 1 of 
the 11 rooms meets the minimum requirement. The seriousness of 
this situation becomes apparent when it is considered that of the 
118 rooms deficient in window area only 23 rooms have 90 per cent 
or more of that required, while 40 rooms have between 80 and 89 
per cent, 21 rooms have between 70 and 79 per cent, 11 between 60 
and 69 per cent, 20 between 50 and 59 per cent, and 3 between 40 
and 49 per cent of the window area required. Most of these rooms, 
it is true, are in buildings erected prior to the time when this require- 
ment was fixed. On the other hand, in the four-room addition to 
the WHiitney Avenue building, not yet occupied, each of the rooms 
has approximately 85 per cent of the required window area. 

The window arrangement is in the main to be commended, as 99 
rooms have windows at the left only, and ?>7 at the left and rear. 
Of the other rooms, 10 have windows at the right and rear, 2 at the 
right only, 2 at the rear only, 2 at the left, right and rear, 1 at the 
front and left, 1 at the left and right, and 1 at the left, right and 
front. 

Water is supplied to all buildings by the city mains. The lava- 
tories and sinks in ten of the thirteen elementary buildings are sup- 
plied with both hot and cold water. There is also hot and cold 
water for the shower baths which are found in two of the buildings. 
In one building, hot water is supplied only to the sinks. In another 
building, hot water is provided only at cleaning time. The Maple 
Avenue School has no provision whatever for hot water. In some 
buildings the wash bowls have not been located to the best advantage, 
• and in nine of the buildings they are somewhat insufficient in number. 
Paper towels are in general use. The absence of towels in some 
schools was due possibly to lack of attention to the matter on the 
part of the janitor. It is vitally important that the washing facilities, 
including hot water, soap and towels receive the constant attention 
of the school principal. The fundamental principle of any health 
education program is cleanliness. To the little people of the primary 
grades, this must mean first of all clean hands, clean faces and clean 
bodies. Effective teaching and training demand properly equipped 
lavatory facilities conveniently at hand. 

Two of the elementary buildings have swimming pools. This is 
indicative of a progressive public spirit, and should be continued in 
the development of the school system as new buildings are planned. 



182 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

The sanitary conditions of the toilets vary widely. In some 
buildings in which the toilet arrangements have recently been re- 
modeled, the conditions are of the l)est. There are eight buildings 
in which the sanitary condition of the toilets is good. In three 
buildings, however, these conditions are poor, and in two the condi- 
tions can only be characterized as intolerably bad. 

In several buildings the toilet facilities are not adequate for the 
number of pupils registered. Two of the thirteen buildings have a 
sufficient number of seats for girls. The others have respectively 
95, 92, 81, 75, 69, 67, 65, 64, 54, 50 and 32 per cent of the required 
number. Six buildings have a sufficient number of seats for boys. 
The others have respectively 91, 89, 88, 69, 69, 59 and 50 per cent of 
the required number. Two buildings meet the minimum require- 
ment as to urinals. The others have respectively 95, 86, 75, 75, Th, 
64, 50, 43, 36, Zl> and 28 per cent of the number needed to meet the 
standard requirement. The above statements are based on the 
proportion of one seat for every 15 girls, one seat for every 25 boys, 
and one urinal for every 15 boys. The minimum state requirement 
is that there shall be one seat for every 25 girls, and one seat and 
one urinal for every 40 boys. In the table of comparisons the more 
exacting standard is used for convenience in making comparisons 
with conditions in schools in other states where the same scale of 
measurement has been used. 

Table 47 
Toilet accommodations found in Niagara Falls elementary school buildings 

90-99 per cent Below 

Meeting of standard 80-89 70-79 60-69 50-59 50 

requirement requirement per cent per cent per cent per cent per cent 

Seats for girls 2 2 1 1 4 2 1 

Scats for bovs 6 12 2 2 

Urinals ....: 2 1 1 3 1 1 4 

Even though the table were prepared on the basis of the less 
exacting, many of the buildings would fall below the required 
standard for toilet accommodations for both boys and girls. The 
importance of providing suitable and adequate toilet facilities need 
only be mentioned. A half century ago there was quite an utter 
lack of intelligent a])preciation on the part of public school officials 
as to the vital importance of this phase of the school prol)lem. There 
has been great progress, however, in 50 years. While the standard 
is not where it should be. the public is interested dee])ly in this ques- 
tion and citizens are insisting that the modern school Iniilding make 
the best ])Ossible provision for these needs. Clean, white, sanitary 
conveniences are most wholesome in their reaction on the moral de- 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 183 

\elopment of the child. In future planning, it would be well to have 
in mind the importance of providing special toilet accommodations 
for the kindergarten children. This can often be done with no addi- 
tional cost if included on the original plans. 

It has doubtless already been observed not only that the Fifth 
Street and the Cleveland Avenue schools (the two oldest buildings 
in the city) provide space for a large per cent of the elementary 
school population, having over 26 per cent of the registration as 
given by the principals in September 1918, but that these two build- 
ings provide in large part the accommodations which the city ofifers 
for the educational program for the pupils of the seventh and eighth 
grades. Of the 311 eighth grade pupils registered in the schools in 
September 1918, 89.4 per cent were in the Fifth Street and Cleveland 
Avenue schools. All the eighth grade pupils of the city were in 
these two schools with the exception of one class of 33 eighth grade 
boys and girls, which is located in the Twenty-fourth Street School. 
Of the 420 seventh grade pupils registered in September 1918, 73.9 
per cent were in the Fifth Street and Cleveland Avenue schools. 
Of the 420 pupils of the seventh grade, all except 110 were in these 
two buildings. One seventh grade class was being cared for in each 
of the following schools : Twenty-second Street, Tenth Street, 
Twenty- fourth Street. 

Table 48 
Distribution of grades by buildings 

Grades Schools 

Kindergarten to eighth grade, inc Fifth Street 

Cleveland Avenue 
Twenty-fourth Street 

Kindergarten to seventh grade, inc Twenty-second Street 

Tenth Street 

Kindergarten to sixth grade, inc Ferry Avenue 

Ashland Avenue 
Sugar Street 
Thirteenth Street 
Center Street 

First grade to sixth grade, inc • Third Street 

Maple Avenue 

Kindergarten to fifth grade, inc Whitney Avenue 

It appears, therefore, that a large per cent of the eighth and 
seventh grade pupils, approximately 90 per cent of the eighth grade 
pupils and 75 per cent of the seventh grade pupils, are given their 
educational training in this critical period of their life in the two 
oldest buildings of the city, both of which were built long before a 



184 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

niodern ediKational program or an intermediate school was ever 
dreamed of. While the pupils of the higher grades should have no 
1 tetter educational advantages than the little people in the primary 
grades and kindergarten, the proper educational program for the 
pupils of adolescent age reqviires a much more extensive equipment 
and opportunities for diversified activities which can not he met in 
the old building of 50 or 75 years ago. 

There seems to be every reason, therefore, why some immediate 
and more adequate provision should be made for the seventh and 
eighth grade pupils in these two buildings. Eventually the two build- 
ings should probably be al)andoned. In the meantime, however, 
something should be done to meet the responsibility to these pupils 
of the higher grades. 

The general survey of the building plant becomes especially acute 
because of certain outstanding features. 

1 The school population is growing far more rapidly than the 
school plant. School accommodations are not keeping pace with the 
rapidly increasing registration. 

2 The pupils in the higher grades, particularly those in the seventh 
and eighth years, are mostly crowded into the two oldest buildings in 
the city, the Fifth Street and Cleveland Avenue schools. 

3 The need of differentiated courses of instruction in the higher 
grades requires proper space and equipment, which can not be met in 
the buildings of the type mentioned. The development of a program 
for two or three intermediate schools would provide space also for 
the ninth year or first year high school pupils and in part relieve the 
pressure in the high school building. 

These points have been lirought out in the detailed discussion 
earlier in the chapter. It remains to make some more specific recom- 
mendation as to the program which should be inaugurated immedi- 
ately to meet the situation and to give the city the educational oppor- 
tunities which should be ofl:'ered. 

The new twelve-room elementary school building which has been 
authorized for the southern part of the city, will relieve the con- 
gestion somewhat in that locality, and provide school accommoda- 
tions for the rapidly increasing population of that section. It may 
be added, however, that the increased space provided by this new 
building will little more than meet the normal increase in the school 
population in one year, while at the present time many classes are 
on half time. 

It would appear, therefore, quite imperative that as a part of the 
immediate program provision should be made also for a large ele- 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 185 

mentary school for the northern section of the city to be made ready 
for use at the earliest possible moment. It is very probable that 
before such a building could be ready, the increase in the school, 
population would fill many of the rooms. A twelve-room building 
or larger in the northern part of the city, together with the new 
twelve-room building already under way in the vicinity of 24th street 
and Niagara street, would only meet the normal conditions in the 
growth of the school population to be expected in one year. 

The larger problem in any school building program has to do with 
the increase in the school registration covering 5-year or 10-year 
periods, and the improved school opportunities which every citizen 
will wish to insure for the boys and girls. The estimates given on 
page 172 indicate a probable annual increase from 400 to 480 in the 
school registration during the next few years. If merely desk space 
were provided for pupils and if the present school buildings were 
sufficient, this would require during these years at least ten to twelve 
new schoolrooms each year. This means a new 24-room school 
building every two years. This leaves entirely out of consideration, 
however, the present serious handicap under which the seventh and 
eighth grade pupils are working in the two oldest buildings of the 
city, congested as they are, poorly lighted, poorly ventilated, and 
with very limited equipment. It also fails to consider the condi- 
tions in the high school where there is already a need for additional 
space and more modern equipment to meet the demands for technical 
and industrial work. The broader socialized program which the 
better schools are following in the intermediate school as a founda- 
tion for the work in the senior high school or as a more definite 
preparation for going out into the activities of the community, re- 
quire equipment and facilities somewhat more extensive than is 
required in the lower elementary grades. 

It is not the purpose to enter here into a discussion of the aims of 
a course of study for the intermediate school covering the work of 
the seventh, eighth and ninth years. This will be treated in full in 
the chapter dealing with the course of study. However, as the char- 
acter of the building must be determined in large measure by the 
work to be done and the activities to be carried on, it may well be 
noted here that the intermediate school should provide for depart- 
mental teaching, rather than for class teaching as in the first six 
grades ; there should be adequate library facilities under proper super- 
vision and direction ; the plans should provide suitable laboratories 
for the science work, general science or biology, as may be offered. 
There should be an auditorium for school and community purposes. 



186 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

and also a gymnasium and swimming pool. Moreover, there should 
be rooms and equipment for manual, household and industrial arts, 
such as mechanical drawing, woodworking, sheet metal work, print- 
ing and general homemaking courses, including cooking and sewing. 
These or other activities might he added as the industrial life of the 
community might demand. 

The intermediate school is not a vocational school. Its pur])osc is 
to offer in these years of school life such a differentiated course that 
the boy or girl may begin to learn something of the arts which play 
such a large part in the daily life. These slightly differentiated 
courses in the intermediate school helj) the pupil to find himself, and 
thus fit him better to attack more definitely the work in the high 
school or to take his place more intelligently in the community life 
about him. 

In developing the school building program to meet the educational 
needs of the city for the next decade, it will be necessary for the 
local authorities to consider not only the necessity of a series of ele- 
mentary Iniildings so located as to meet the demands of the rapidly 
growing population and to provide during the next few years for 
two intermediate schools, one in the southern i)art of the city and 
another in the northern part of the city (which will provide accom- 
modations for approximately 800 to 1000 pupils each, with sufficient 
space for the necessary school and community activities, which should 
be included in a progressive educational program) but also to provide 
for the larger activities of the high school which the growing indus- 
trial importance of the community and the needs of the individual 
pupils demand. 

It is our judgment that the type of high school for a city the size 
of Niagara Falls is a large, well-equipped cosmopolitan high school 
providing under one organization for the academic, commercial, 
technical and industrial activities, rather than the plan which is some- 
times advanced to build and operate separately a so-called technical 
high school. The development of the intermediate schools with pro- 
vision for the ninth year or first year high school pupils, will relieve 
somewhat the congestion in the present high school building. There 
is. however, not the necessary space for the shops for the various 
courses with the e(iuii)ment which must be added to provide these 
courses as they should be carried on. 

It is believed that the additional high school facilities which must 
be provided at no distant date, should be planned along the line of a 
cosmopolitan high school which will offer not only all the advantages 
of the technical high school, but will have the unusual advantage of 




'i:Oi:-H!0H- V 



THE PROPOSED CLEVELAND AVENUE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 

The first step in the new educational program for the city 




CENTER AVENUE SCHOOL 

Kindergarten and first six grades 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 187 

articulation between courses and modification of the work of the in- 
dividual pupil from time to time which is impossible in the small 
technical high school. Moreover, the various general school activities 
which are all important in themselves and are a vital part of a liberal 
education, such as auditorium and assembly exercises, physical train- 
ing", and general cultural courses, such as history, and are a definite 
part of the school program in a cosmopolitan high school, oftentimes 
can not be provided in a small technical high school except in large 
centers of population where the technical high school in its diversi- 
fied courses, can ofifer every special opportimity of this character 
which is a part of the cosmopolitan high school program. 

It is of special interest in this connection to note a statement from 
the recent report of the Commission on the Reorganization of Sec- 
ondary Education, entitled " Cardinal Principles of Secondary Edu- 
cation." The report states that " The comprehensive (sometimes 
called composite, or cosmopolitan) high school, embracing all curri- 
culums in one unified organization, should remain the standard type of 
secondary school in the United States. . . . The well-organized, com- 
prehensive school can make difl^erentiated education of greater value 
than can the special-type school, because it aids in a wise choice of 
curriculum, assists in readjustments when such are desirable, and 
provides for wider contacts essential to true success in every voca- 
tion. . . . The comprehensive school is the prototype of a democracy 
in which various groups must have a degree of self-consciousness as 
groups and yet be federated into a larger whole through the recog- 
nition of common interests and ideals. Life in such a school is a 
natural and valuable preparation for life in a democracy. ... A 
comprehensive high school can provide much more efifectively for 
health education, education for the worthy use of leisure, and home- 
making education than a number of smaller special type schools can." 

A high school in a city the size of Niagara Falls can not do better 
than to plan the high school work on the basis of this type of school 
organization. 

Summary 
The school plant should make adequate provision for the school 
])opulation. During the past decade the city population has increased 
66 per cent. The school registration during this period has increased 
69 per cent, and the average daily attendance 79 per cent. 



188 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

During the past decade tlie numl)er of schoolrooms in the ele- 
mentary school plant was increased from 111 to 145, or an approxi- 
mate increase of 30 per cent.^ 

The present annual increase in the school registration will require 
the construction of a new 24-room "building every two years. 

The present school plant consists of thirteen elementary school 
buildings and one high school building. The Fifth Street School 
was erected in 1855, and the Cleveland Avenue School in 1872. 
Four small buildings were erected between 1895 and 1898, two build- 
ings in 1903, three in 1908, one in 1914 and one in 1918. 

The general appearance of the buildings and grounds is excellent. 
As a whole, the elementary school plant scores only 8647 points out 
of a possible 13,000. The percentage of possible points scored was 
66.5. On the basis of 1000 points for a perfect school plant, three 
of the buildings were rated below 600. Two of these, the Fifth 
Street School and the Cleveland Avenue School, should be abandoned 
as the development of the new program makes provision for the 
children of these centers. 

With the exception of the two old buildings, the school plant is 
reasonably modern. 

The importance of providing proper recreational space is appre- 
ciated by the board of education. Although some schools have lim- 
ited playground area, additional adjacent land has been purchased 
recently for playground purposes. The more recent plans make 
ample provision for play space. 

Some modifications are necessary in the older buildings to insure 
the best possible conditions for school use. Many of these are already 
under way. In several of the older buildings the light is quite un- 
satisfactory. Only 26 of the 155 rooms in the elementary school 
buildings meet the minimum requirement in respect to the three 
factors, floor area, air space and window area. 

The window arrangement is in the main quite satisfactory as 99 
rooms have windows at the left only and "SI at the left and rear. 

Hot and cold water is supplied to all the buildings except one. 
The hot water supply, however, is not adequate in several buildings. 
Hot water, soap and towels are essential in any health education 
program. These matters should have the careful attention of every 
elementary school principal. 

The sanitary conditions of the toilets vary widely. This matter is 
having the consideration of the school authorities. Modern sanitary 



^ Another new building is now under construction. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 189 

equipment is found in all new buildings. From the older buildings 
all unsanitary equipment is being removed as rapidly as possible and 
replaced with modern equipment. 

The school population is growing more rapidly than the school 
plant. The pupils in the higher grades are crowded into two of the 
oldest buildings in the city. The development of the building pro- 
gram must insure adequate provision for the pupils of the higher 
grades. The plans which the board of education have under way 
provide for this essential feature of a modern school organization. 

A very considerable enlargement of the high school building is 
necessary, notwithstanding the relief that intermediate schools may 
offer. The enlargement of the high school building should make 
ample provision for shops and technical courses for which the space 
is now very seriously restricted. A large addition for this purpose, 
including also a gymnasium and swimming pool, will give Niagara 
Falls an opportunity for the development of a cosmopolitan high 
school which is without question distinctive of present development 
in secondary education. 



190 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

12 

COMPARATIVE SCHOOL COSTS 

For purposes of comparison regarding school costs there is given 
in the following table a list of the cities of the north and west having 
a population nearest to that of Niagara Falls. The cities have been 
taken in order from the Financial Statistics of Cities for 1919, issued 
in 1920 by the United States Census Bureau. In this group there 
are nineteen cities, some with a larger population than Niagara Falls 
and others having a population somewhat less. Of the nineteen 
cities in the group, two are New York State cities, four in Massa- 
chusetts, three in Michigan, three in Pennsylvania, two are in New 
Jersey, one in Iowa, one in Indiana, one in Wisconsin, one in Kansas, 
and one .in Nebraska. In other words, of the nineteen cities, eleven 
are eastern cities and eight are cities of the middle west. 

Table 49 

Population of nineteen cities throughout the United States nearest to 
Niagara Falls in populationi 

Racine, Wis 58 593 

Lincoln, Neb 54 948 

Lancaster, Pa 53 150 

Haverhill,' Mass 53 884 

Atlantic City, N.J 50 707 

Gary, Ind 55 378 

Topeka, Kan 50 022 

Maiden, Mass 49 103 

East Orange, N.J 50 710 

Niagara Falls, N. Y 50 760 

Kalamazoo, Mich 48 487 

Bay City, Alich 47 554 

York, Pa 47 512 

Jackson, Mich 48 374 

McKeesport, Pa 46 731 

Quincy, Mass 47 876 

Newton, Mass 46 054 

Elmira, N. Y 45 393 

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 45 566 

In studying the school costs of any community, it is of interest at 
the outset to note the value of property per capita as a means of 

1 Federal Census, 1920. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCFIOOL SYSTEM 191 

indicating the ability of the city to meet its financial responsibilities. 
Table 50 has been prepared showing the estimated true value of 
property per capita in the nineteen cities of this group. 

Table 50 
Estimated true value of property per capita, 1919 

1 Atlantic City, N. J $2 015 54 

2 Niagara Falls, N. Y 1 824 

3 Nev.ton, Mass 1 666 10 

4 Topeka, Kan 1 602 50 

5 Gary, Ind 1 541 42 

6 Lincoln, Neb 1 324 65 

7 Racine, Wis 1 308 46 

8 Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1 250 80 

9 East Orange, N. J 1 227 30 

M 10 Kalamazoo, Mich 1 093 52 

1 1 Quincy, Mass 1 070 34 

12 McKeesport, Pa 984 95 

13 Jackson, Mich 958 44 

14 Haverhill, Mass 900 46 

15 Elmira, N. Y 891 62 

16 Lancaster, Pa 866 60 

17 York, Pa 859 31 

18 Maiden, Mass 836 93 

19 Bay City, Mich 631 15 

It is observed from table 50 that Niagara Falls is a prosperous 
community, the estimated true value of property per capita in the 
city being $1824. In this respect Niagara Falls occupies the highest 
rank of the cities of the group with the exception of Atlantic City. 

It may be observed that the estimated true value of property per 
capita in the cities of the group varies from $631 in Bay City, Mich., 
to $2015 in Atlantic City. The median of the group is Kalamazoo, 
Mich., with an estimated true value of property per capita of $1093. 
It is apparent therefore that Niagara Falls is well able financially to 
meet the responsibilities of government. 

In table 51 the cities of the group are arranged in the order of the 
total governmental maintenance cost- per capita for the year 1919. 
This includes the general maintenance expenses for all departments 
of city government but does not include any payments made for 
capital outlay or for permanent betterments of any kind. 



192 the university of the state of new york 

Table 51 

Per capita payments for general city departmental maintenance expenses, 

19191 

1 Newton, Mass $32 58 

2 Atlantic City, N. J 31 89 

3 Quincy, Mass 22 67 

4 Maiden, Mass 20 76 

5 Haverhill, Mass 19 91 

6 East Orange, N.J 19 36 

7 Niagara Falls, N. Y 19 19 

8 Gary, Ind 17 90 

9 Cedar Rapids, Iowa 16 04 

M 10 Jackson, Mich 15 92 

11 Elmira, N. Y 15 80 

12 Lincoln, Neb 15 58 

13 Racine, Wis 14 63 

14 Topeka, Kan 14 60 

15 McKtesnort, Pa 14 50 

16 Bay City, Mich 14 36 

17 Kalamazoo, Mich 13 15 

18 Lancaster, Pa 9 61 

19 York, Pa 9 47 

In the per capita payments for general city departmental mainte- 
nance expenses, the nineteen cities in the list show a range from 
$32.58 per capita in Newton, Mass., to $9.47 in York, Pa. The 
median for the group is Jackson, Mich., where the per capita ex- 
penditures for the maintenance of city government were $15.92. 

In Niagara Falls the per capita payments for the maintenance of 
general city government were $19.19. It is apparent that the ex- 
penditures of Niagara Falls for general governmental maintenance 
purposes are somewhat above the median for the group. It is of 
interest to turn from the previous table to a consideration of the per 
capita cost payments for school maintenance. The table showing the 
per capita cost payments for the maintenance of schools in these 
cities for the year shows a variation in the cities of the group in this 
respect from $11.26, the per capita cost for school maintenance in 
Newton, Mass., to $4.30, the per capita cost in Lancaster, Pa. 

^ Financial Statistics of Cities, 1919. 



report of the niagara falls school system 193 

Table 52 
Per capita payments for school maintenance, 19 19^ 

1 Newton, Mass $11 26 

2 Atlantic City, x\. J 10 18 

3 Cedar Rapids, Iowa 9 27 

4 Lincoln, Neb 8.74 

5 East Orange, N. J 8 43 

6 Gary, Ind 7 74 

7 Quincy, Mass 7 43 

8 Topeka, Kan 7 41 

9 Bay City, Mich 6 95 

M 10 McKeesport, Pa 6 62 

1 1 Maiden, Mass 6 58 

12 Kalamazoo, Mich 6 55 

13 Racine, Wis 6 45 

14 Elmira, N. Y 6 21 

15 Haverhill, Mass 6 11 

16 Niagara Falls, N. Y 5 56 

17 Jackson, Mich 5 17 

18 York, Pa 4 55 

19 Lancaster, Pa 4 30 

It may be observed that according to table 52 the per capita ex- 
penditure for school maintenance in Niagara Falls in 1919 was $5.56. 
In this respect Niagara Falls was one of the lowest cities of the 
group, only three cities having a lower rank in this respect. The 
median for the group is McKeesport, Pa., with a per capita expendi- 
ture for school maintenance of $6.62. 

It is of interest therefore to note in connection with this compara- 
tive table that while Niagara Falls is somewhat high in rank in respect 
to the per capita costs of city government, it is one of the lowest of 
the group in the per capita expenditures for schools. While Niagara 
Falls is number 7 in the group in the per capita payments for gov- 
ernmental maintenance purposes, the city is number 16 in the group 
in the per capita payments for the maintenance of schools. While 
only six cities of the group are higher than Niagara Falls in the per 
capita cost of city government, only .three cities of the group are 
lower than Niagara Falls in the per capita expenditures for schools. 

It is apparent therefore from the facts already presented that in 
Niagara Falls a relatively small percentage of the total govern- 
mental maintenance expenditures is used for school purposes. Table 
53 gives the percentage of general departmental expenditures devoted 

1 Financial Statistics of Cities, 1919, United States Census Bureau, Wash- 
ington, D. C. 



VH Till' UNIVKRSITY OF TIIF, STATR Ol' NEW YORK 

to scliool maintcMiancc in the nineteen cities of the group for the 
year 1*)1<): 

Tahi.f, 53 
Per cent of general city departmental expenses used for schools, 1919' 

1 Ccdai" I^.'ipids, Iowa 57.8 

2 Lincohi, Nch 55.2 

3 Topoka. Kan 50.8 

4 Kalamazoo. Mich 49.8 

5 Bay City, Midi 48.4 

6 York. Pa 48. 

7 McKccsport. Pa 45.7 

8 Lancaster, Pa 44.8 

9 Racine, Wis 44. 1 

M 10 Past OranRc, N. J 43.5 

11 (iary. Ind 43.4 

12 EIniira, N. Y 39.3 

13 Newton, Mass 34.6 

14 Quincy, Mass 32.8 

15 Jackson. Mich 32.5 

16 Atlantic City, N. J 31.9 

17 Maiden, Mass 31.7 

18 Haverhill, Mass 30.7 

19 Niagara Falls, N. Y 29. 

In Cedar RapitLs, Iowa, 57.8 per cent of the general city main- 
tenance expenchtures were n.sed for school ])urposes. Tt is observed 
OFi the other hand that Xiagara h'alls is the lowest city of the group 
in respect to the per cent of general city dei)artniental expenditures 
used for school purposes, where the ])ercentage used for this pur- 
])Ose is 2*). The median for the group is Ivist ( )range, N. J., where 
-!.v5 per cent of the general city maintenance exi)en(litin'es were used 
for school pur])oses. The position of Niagara I'alls in this matter 
is not to its credit. It is ai)parent that while Xiagara h'alls spends a 
relatively large amount per capita for governmental piu'poses. the 
community uses the luinimum percentage for the public schools. 
The peojjle of Niagara l"\alls. however, are not satisfied with this 
small allotment of 29 per cent of the departmental maintenance 
fluids for school ])urposes. This is ap])arent from the wide pulilic 
interest wliich has been taken recentU in the educational program 
of the coiumunity on the part of all public organizations. The edu- 
cational program as carried on b)- the jjublic school s\'stem, the most 
im])ortant of ihc coniiiiunit\' activities, can not be properh- su])ported 
without a reason;il)le allotment of ])ul)lic funds. 

1 Financial Statistics of Cities, !'M9. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 195 

In (letennining the relative ex])enditures for schools in any group 
of cities, several factors should be taken into consideration, as the 
number of chikh-en of school age in the city and the number in 
attendance in the pul)lic schools. Comparative data, however, on 
this point are not available for the year which is covered l)y this 
report. These statistics for the cities of the group are not avail- 
able for recent years. Commercial and economic costs of all kinds 
have changed so rapidly during the war period that it would be of 
little interest to make use of data covering conditions several years 
back. For that reason a discussion on this point is omitted here but 
is presented later in the chapter on the comparative data covering 
cities of New York State. 

Having considered the estimated true value of property per capita, 
the governmental maintenance costs and the amount and i)ercentage 
of funds used for school purposes, especially as they relate to Niagara 
Falls in comparison with the other cities of the group, it is of further 
interest to note the wealth back of each dollar used for school 
maintenance. 

Table 54 
Showing real wealth back of each dollar expended for schools 

Bay City, Mich $91 

Maiden, Mass 127 

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 134 

Ehnira, N. Y 143 

Quincy, Mass 144 

East Orange, N. J 145 

Haverhill, Mass 147 

McKeesport, Pa 148 

Newton, Mass 148 

M Lincoln, Neb 151 

Kalamazoo, Mich 167 

Jackson, Mich . 185 

York, Pa 188 

Atlantic City, N. J 198 

Gary, Ind 200 

Lancaster, Pa 201 

Racine, Wis 203 

Topcka, Kan '. 216 

Niagara Falls, N. Y 328 

In Bay City one dollar was expended for schools in 1919 for 
every $91 of real wealth. In other words, in Bay City more than 
one dollar was expended for schools during the year mentioned for 
every $100 of real wealth in the community. It is observed from 
the table in which the cities are ranked in this respect that Niagara 



196 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Falls is number 19 in the grou]), where one dollar was used for 
school maintenance for every $328 of real wealth. In other words, 
in proportion to the real weahh of the community, Niagara Falls is 
expending the least for school maintenance of any city in the group. 
This merely gives further confirmation relative to the ability of 
Niagara Falls to support a progressive school program far beyond the 
funds that were used for school purposes in 1919. 

In general therefore it may be said that the comparative tables of 
the nineteen cities of the group, including cities of the north and 
west for the year 1919, indicate a relatively high governmental main- 
tenance cost for the city of Niagara Falls but that the percentage of 
funds used for school maintenance is relatively very low. With the 
exception of one city, Niagara Falls shows the highest real value of 
jiroperty per capita of any city of the group. In the percentage of 
local governmental expenditures that is used for schools, Niagara 
Falls is the lowest of the group. Moreover, on the basis of the real 
wealth back of each dollar expended for school maintenance the com- 
parative tal)le shows that Niagara Falls is the lowest of the group. 

Comparisons of School Costs in Niagara Falls vv^ith Cities in 

Nev/ York 

The first part of this chapter has considered for purposes of com- 
parison nineteen cities in the northern states nearest to Niagara Falls 
in population. For the purpose of determining the relative rank of 
Niagara Falls in comparison with cities of New York, the following 
discussion is presented covering the fifteen cities of this State having 
a population between 30,000 and 100,000. 

Although these cities vary widely in their i)opulation. they furnish 
the opportunity for an interesting study as they are operating under 
the same general conditions in the same state. Each city has, of 
course, its own social and economic problems. Some of these cities 
are part of a large metropolitan population, others are at a distance 
from the larger municipalities and are the centers of their own com- 
mercial and industrial activities. With these dififerences clearly in 
mind, the comparisons may be helpful. 

The fifteen cities in this group, their population in 1920, and the 
per capita payments for general city departmental expenses are given 
in table 55. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 



197 



Table 55 

Population and per capita payments for general city departmental 
expenses, 1920 



M 



City 

1 Yonkers 

2 Utica 

3 Schenectadjr . . 

4 Troy 

5 Binghamton . . 

6 Niagara Falls . 

7 Elmira 

8 Mount \"ernon 

9 Jamestown .. . . 

10 New Rochelie 

11 Auburn 

12 Poughkeepsie . 

13 Amsterdam . . . 

14 Watertown . . . 

15 Newburgh . . . . 



Population^ 
100 176 
94 156 
88 723 
72 013 
66 800 
50 760 
45 393 
42 726 
38 917 
36 213 
36 192 
35 000 
33 524 
31 285 
30 366 



City 

Yonkers 

New Rochcllc 
Watertown . . . 
Mount Vernon 
Niagara Falls . 
Schenectady . . 

Troy 

Jamestown . . . 

Elmira 

Poughkeepsie . 
Binghamton . . 

Utica 

iKmsterdam . . . 
Newburgh . . . . 
.\uburn 



Per capita 
payments- 
^37 22 
34 21 
28 99 
27 97 
27 11 
26 78 
23 71 
23 66 
22 86 
22 09 
21 56 
20 69 
20 57 
19 51 
19 23 



Of the fifteen cities in this group. Niagara Falls is number 6 in 
population and number 5 in the per capita payments for general cit}' 
departmental expenses. The median per capita city cost for the 
group for the year was $23.66. The per capita payments for all 
departmental maintenance expenses in Niagara Falls for the year 
were $27.11. or $3.45 above the median of the group. This table 
does not take into consideration interest charges or expenditures for 
outlays. It is therefore a fair comparison of the governmental main- 
tenance costs of the cities of the group for the year. 

It should be observed in this connection that the per capita main- 
tenance costs for the various cities were computed by taking the 
total expenditures for governmental maintenance cost as reported 
by the State Comptroller for the calendar year 1919 and dividing 
this total l)y the poi)ulation as given by the federal census for 
January 1920. 

It is observed that Niagara Falls holds relatively a high rank in 
the group in respect to the per capita "maintenance cost of the city 
government for the year. Table 56 shows the per capita payments 
during the school year ending July 1920 for the maintenance of 
schools in the fifteen cities of the grouj). The table has been pre- 
pared by taking the total expenditures for school maintenance during 



1 Federal Census, 1920. 

^Amount given in report to State Comptroller Municipal Accovnits, 1919, divideil by 
federal population, January 1920. 



198 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

the year and dividing this by the city population as given by the 
federal census. 

Table 56 
Per capita payments for maintenance of schools, 1920 

City A)iioii!if 

1 Schenectady $13 92 

2 New Rochclle 13 71 

3 Yonkers 13 09 

4 Amount Vernon 10 45 

5 Jamestown 9 02 

6 Auburn 8 69 

7 Niagara Falls 8 59 

M 8 Watertown 8 07 

9 Elmira 7 73 

10 Binghaniton 7 68 

1 1 Newburgh 7 53 

12 Utica 6 95 

13 Amsterdam 6 67 

14 Poughkeepsie 6 32 

15 Troy 5 54 

On the basis of the per capita payments for school maintenance, it 
is observed that the highest per capita cost for school maintenance 
is Schenectady with $13.92. The lowest is Troy with a per capita 
cost of $5.54. The median is Watertown with $8.07. The per 
capita payments for school maintenance in Niagara Falls for 1920 
were $8.59, which is 52 cents above the median of the group. It 
will be noted further from the table that all cities in the group 
from number 6 to number 11 are within a per capita expenditure of 
approximately one dollar. All these cities therefore, including 
Niagara Falls, may be said in a sense to occupy a median rank. 

A further comparison of tables 55 and 56 determines the percentage 
of general city departmental expenses that are used for school 
purposes. 



keport of the niagara falls school system 199 

Table 57 
Per cent of general city departmental expenses used for schools, 1920 

City Per cent 

1 Schenectady 52 

2 Auburn 45 

3 New Rochelle 40 

4 Newburgh 38 . 2 

5 Jamestown 38 . 1 

6 Mount Vernon 2>7 

7 Binghaniton 35 . 6 

M 8 Yonkers 35.1 

9 Elmira 33.8 

10 Utica 33.6 

1 1 Amsterdam 32 

12 Niagara Falls 31 

13 Poughkeepsie 28 

14 Watertown 27 

15 Troy 22 

It is observed that in this group of cities the percentage of city 
departmental maintenance expenditures used for school purposes in 
the year 1920 varies from 22 per cent in Troy, w^hich is the lowest, 
to 52 per cent in Schenectady, which has the highest rank of the 
cities in the group. The median is 35 . 1 per cent. Niagara Falls, 
it is observed, ranks twelfth in the group of fifteen cities with a per- 
centage of 31. This low rank would seem to indicate that the public 
schools in Niagara Falls do not receive a reasonable allotment of 
city funds. 

In comparing this table with the corresponding table given in the 
early part of the chapter, which included the nineteen cities from 
different states, it may be noted that the fifteen cities of this group 
in New York do not compare favorably with the larger group in 
respect to the percentage of general departmental payments used for 
school maintenance. The median for the group of nineteen cities in 
different states was 43.5 per cent; the median for the fifteen cities 
of New York State was 35 . 1 per cent. The statistics for the group 
of New York cities are for the year 1920 while the statistics for the 
larger group including cities from other states are for the year 1919. 
The actual difference in 1920 is therefore even greater than is shown 
by these comparative tables. Similar comparative statistics for the 
larger group for the year 1920 would undoubtedly show a larger 
percentage of city departmental expenses used for schools as the 
trend in all communities is in this direction. 

Noting further the comparison between the two groups, it is 
observed that with the exception of Schenectady and Auburn all the 



200 THE UN1\ERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

New York cities rank below the median of the larger group. It 
would appear therefore that the cities in the New York group show 
a relatively low percentage of general city departmental expenses 
used for school maintenance. In the first group Niagara Falls was 
the lowest in rank ; in the second group covering the New York cities. 
Niagara Falls has the lowest rank with the exception of three cities. 

As has already l)een stated, a very satisfactory basis of comparison 
in determining school costs is the maintenance cost per pupil in 
average daily attendance. The per capita maintenance cost, which 
is based on the total population, does not take into consideration the 
varying percentages of children of school age or make allowances for 
the children who may l)e in private or parochial schools. The main- 
tenance cost per pupil in average daily attendance giving a compari- 
son on the basis of the numl)er of pupils under instruction is there- 
lore of special interest. Table 58 gives the maintenance cost per 
pupil in average daily attendance in the fifteen cities of this group for 
the school years 1915-16 and 1919-20. 

Table 58 

Maintenance cost per pupil in average daily attendance in fifteen 
New York cities 

1915-16 1919-20 

1 Mount Vernon $59 63 • Yonkers $85 01 

2 Ne^v Rochelle 59 16 New Rochelle 84 73 

3 Troy 56 94 Mount Vernon 76 77 

4 Yonkers 55 78 Auburn 76 06 

5 Binghamton .....'. .. 50 79 Troy 75 04 

6 Auburn 50 34 Utica est. 71 58 

7 Schenectady 47 36 Elmira 67 55 

M 8 Elmira 43 45 M Schenectady 65 20 

9 Niagara Falls 43 22 Niagara Falls 64 43 

10 [Jtica 42 13 Binghamton 63 25 

11 Jamestown 41 96 Jamestown 61 32 

12 Amsterdam 38 55 Newburgh 54 1 1 

13 Poughkeepsie 38 17 Amsterdam 50 83 

14 Newburgh 36 43 Watcrtown 50 92 

15 Watertown 33 19 Poughkeepsie 47 78 

Table 58 is of interest in that it gives comparative data on the 
maintenance cost per pupil in average daily attendance covering two 
years at the beginning and at the close of the war period. The 
table shows that the maintenance cost per pupil in average daily 
attendance in these cities for the year 1915-16 varied from $33.19 
in Watertown to $59.63 in Mount Vernon. The median for the 
group for the school year 1915-16 was Elmira, where the main- 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 201 

tenance cost per pupil was $43.45. In Niagara Falls the main- 
tenance cost per pupil in average daily attendance during the year 
1915-16 was $43.22. During that year Niagara Falls was slightly 
below the median for the group in this respect. 

During the school year 1919-20 the maintenance cost per pupil in 
average daily attendance in the fifteen cities of the group varied from 
$47.78 in Poughkeepsie to $85.01 in Yonkers. The median for the 
group was Schenectady with a maintenance cost per pupil of $65.20. 
During the school year 1919-20 the maintenance cost per pupil in 
average daily attendance in Niagara Falls was $64.43, which was 
slightly below the median for the group, Niagara Falls occupying the 
same relative position among the fifteen cities that was held during 
the school year 1915-16. 

In comparison therefore with the other cities of the group, Niagara 
Falls occupies a position considerably below the median in the main- 
tenance cost of the city schools as determined by the number of 
pupils in average daily attendance. This comparison would still 
further confirm what has already been observed that the public 
schools in Niagara Falls do not receive a reasonable allotment of 
public funds. Moreover in comparison with other cities, the ex- 
penditures for public schools are somewhat below the median rank. 
Tt may be observed further that during the four-year period from 
1916 to 1920 the median cost of school maintenance based on the 
average daily attendance in the fifteen cities of New York State 
increased approximately 50 per cent. The increase in Niagara Falls 
was approximately the same percentage although in each case Niagara 
Falls is slightly below the median of the group. During this period 
when school costs in the cities of the group were increasing approxi- 
mately 50 per cent, economic and commercial costs of all kinds were 
increasing from 100 to 150 per cent. This indicates the economy 
with which the school programs were carried forward. 



202 the university of the state of new york 

Table 59 

Instructional cost per pupil in average daily attendance in fifteen 

New York cities 

1915-16 1919-20 

1 New Rochelle $45 17 lYonkers $67 59 

2 Mount Vernon 45 10 2 New Rochelle 63 88 

3 Yonkers 44 54 3 Mount Vernon 57 82 

4 Troy 43 99 4 Troy 57 09 

5 Binghamton 38 20 5 Auburn 56 83 

6 Auburn 37 29 6 Elmira 54 31 

7 Schenectady 35 22 7 Utica 52 50 

M 8 Elmira 33 42 M 8 Schenectady 48 72 

9 Niagara Falls 32 37 9 BinRhamton 47 74 

10 Utica 32 07 10 Niagara Falls 47 16 

1 1 Jamestown 30 94 11 Jamestown 45 09 

12 Amsterdam 27 23 12 Nev.burgh 42 21 

13 Newburgh 26 87 13 Amsterdam 36 19 

14 Poughkeepsie 26 80 14 Poughkcepsie 34 39 

15 Watertown 20 95 15 Watertown 31 61 

The instructional cost per pupil in average daily attendance in the 
fifteen New York cities of the group shows an increase during the 
four-year period from 1916 to 1920 which approximates an increase 
in the maintenance cost per pupil during the same period. The 
median instructional cost per pupil in the fifteen cities of the State 
during the school year 1915-16 was $33.42. The median instruc- 
tional cost per pupil in this group of cities during the school year 
1919-20 was $48.72, an increase of 46 per cent. In the city of 
Niagara Falls the instructional cost per pupil in average daily attend- 
ance in 1919-20 was $47.16, an increase of 45 per cent in the in- 
structional cost per pupil in Niagara Falls during the four-year 
period. 

It may be observed that the instructional cost per pupil in average 
daily attendance in Niagara Falls during the year 1919-20 was some- 
what below the median of the group of fifteen cities. The instruc- 
tional cost per pupil in the cities of the group this year varied from 
$31.61 in Watertown to $67.59 in Yonkers. 

It may be repeated that the increase in instructional cost in these 
cities during the four-year period does not represent a reasonable 
increase when considered in connection with the increase in economic 
costs during this period. 

As a further factor in determining the ability of Niagara Falls 
to provide adequately for a progressive educational program the real 
value of property as given in the Report of the State Tax Commis- 
sion for 1919 is of interest. 



report of the niagara falls school system 203 

Table 60 
Real value of property per capita, 1919 

1 New Rochelle $2 051 

2 Niagara Falls 1 855 ' 

3 Yonkers 1 622 

4 Mount Vernon 1 560 

5 Schenectady 1 159 

6 Jamestown 997 

7 Poughkeepsie 996 

M 8 Utica 924 

9 Watertown 922 

10 Newbtirgh 906 

1 1 Amsterdam 892 

12 Troy 885 

13 Binghainton 853 

14 Elmira 822 

15 Auburn 803 

The relative rank of Niagara Falls in respect to the real value of 
property per capita is approximately the same in respect to the New 
York cities as was shown in the comparative tables earlier in the 
chapter covering nineteen cities throughout the north and middle 
west. With one exception, Niagara Falls has the largest real value 
of property per capita of any of the fifteen cities of the New York 
group. 

The real value of property per capita in Niagara Falls is $1855. 
The median for the group is Utica, where the real value of property 
is $924. Niagara Falls is therefore abundantly able to support a 
progressive school program for the community. 

If the real value of property per capita is divided by the per capita 
payment for school maintenance we may determine the real wealth 
back of each dollar expended for schools. 



204 the university of the state of new york 

Table 61 
Real wealth back of each dollar used for school maintenance 

1 Schenectad.v $83 

2 Auburn 92 

3 Ehiiira 106 

4 Jamestown 1 10 

5 Binghaniton Ill 

6 Watertov;n 114 

7 Newburgh 120 

M 8 Yonkers 123 

9 Utica 133 05 

10 Amsterdam 133 88 

1 1 Mount Vernon 149 29 

12 New Rochelle 149 63 

13 Poughkeepsie 157 

14 Troy 159 

15 Niagara Falls , 216 

Table 62 

Amount expended for school maintenance in 1920 for every $100 of real 

wealth in fifteen New York State cities 

i Schenectady $1 20 

2 Auburn 1 08 

3 Ehnira 94 

4 Jamestown 91 

5 Binghaniton 90 

6 Watertown 87 

7 Newburgh 83 

M 8 Yonkers 81 

9 Utica 75 

10 Amsterdam 75 

1 1 Alount Vernon 67 

12 New Rochelle 67 

13 Poughkeepsie 63 

14 Troy 62 

15 Niagara Falls 46 

The real wealth hack of each dollar used for school purposes dur- 
ing the year 1919-20 varied from $83 in Schenectady to $216 in 
Niagara Falls. The median is Yonkers where the real wealth hack 
of each dollar used for school purposes is $123. In other words, 
for every $100 of real wealth, Schenectady expended $1.20 for school 
maintenance. Yonkers $.81, while Niagara Falls expended only $.46 
for school current expenses. 

The tahles therefore indicate that while in Schenectady one dollar 
is used for school jjurposes for every $83 of real wealth, in the city 
of Niagara Falls one dollar is used for school maintenance purposes 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 205 

for every $216 of real wealth. This gives further confirming evi- 
dence of the ability of Niagara Falls to provide for its school pro- 
gram. There is no purpose in the tables that have been presented 
to maintain that Niagara Falls is not doing excellent things in con- 
nection with its educational work. The tables give every evidence, 
however, that the city is abundantly able to provide much more 
generously than has thus far been done for its school program. 

Table 63 

Percentage distribution of expenditures for school maintenance purposes 

in fifteen New York cities for the school year 1919-20 

School plant 

General Instruc- Opera- Main- Auxiliary Fixed Total 

Control tion tion tenance ayencies charges per cent 

Amsterdam 4.7 72.0 12.9 4.5 4.4 1.5 100 

Auburn 3.4 75.0 13.6 3.6 2.0 2.4 100 

Binghamton 3.5 75.7 15.5 2.1 2.4 .8 100 

Elmira 3.0 80.8 9.8 3.2 2.0 1.2 100 

Jamestown 3.3 74.8 13.2 4.7 2.4 2.6 100 

Mount Vernon .. 4.2 75.5 10.0 3.2 5.8 1.3 100 

New Rochelle .. 2.9 75.6 12.4 i.3 5.0 .8 100 

Newburgh 3.4 78.2 10.7 2.5 4.3 .9 100 

Niagara Falls .. . i.?> 73.9 11.7 7.7. 2.4 1.4 100 

Poughkeepsie ... 4.7 72. i 14.5 3.8 2.6 2.1 100 

Schenectady 2.5 75.8 12.9 4.0 3.9 .9 100 

Troy 3.4 76.4 14.5 1.4 3.1 1.2 100 

Utica 3.5 73.5 15.0 5.0 2.0 1.0 100 

Watertown 2.0 63.4 19.8 6.3 6.2 2.3 100 

Yonkers 2.2 79.9 12.4 3.3 2.1 .1 100 

Niagara Falls rank 10 11 12 1 11 6 • 

Table 63 indicates clearly that the large part of the expenditures 
for current school expenses is for instructional purposes. The table 
giving an analysis of the distribution of school maintenance funds 
divides the expenditures on a percentage basis into general control, 
expenses of instruction, operation of school plant, maintenance of 
school plant, auxiliary agencies and fixed charges. The cities have 
been arranged alphabetically in the list. 

It may be ol:)served in general that in the percentage distribution of 
school maintenance funds Niagara Falls does not diflfer widely from 
the general policy followed in the other cities of the group. 

The table might also be read in this manner. Of every dollar used 
for current school expenses Niagara Falls spends 3.3 cents for pur- 
poses of general control, 72) . 9 cents for instructional costs, 11.7 
cents for the operation of the school plant, 7 .3 cents for the mainte- 
nance of the school plant, 2 . 4 cents for auxiliary agencies, and 1 . 4 
cents for fixed charges. 

In comparison with the other cities of the group, Niagara Falls 
occupies a relatively low rank in percentage of expenditures used 
for general control instructional purposes, operation of the school 



206 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

plant and auxiliary agencies. The position of Niagara Falls is the 
highest in respect to the maintenance cost of the school plant. The 
position is nearly median in the percentage amount expended for 
fixed charges. 

The low rank of Niagara Falls in the percentage of funds used for 
the operation of the school plant would indicate that this is eco- 
nomically administered. It is also true that the Niagara Falls school 
authorities are more jealous than many cities of the condition of the 
school plant and therefore undouhtedly put more funds into the 
maintenance of the equipment than is done in many cities. This is 
highly to the credit of the local school authorities. 

The table gives some interesting facts with regard to the per- 
centage of maintenance funds used for instructional purposes. It is 
observed that in all the cities of the group there is a striking ratio 
which this part of the budget bears to the total school costs. The 
expenses of instruction in these cities are between 63.4 and 80.8 
per cent of the total expenditures for school maintenance. With 
the exception of one city in the group the percentage used for this 
purpose is between 72 and 80.8. One city of the group is so far 
below the others in this respect that it indicates a rather unusual 
situation. Table 64 gives this percentage for each city of the group 
arranged in the order of rank. 

Table 64 
Percentage of maintenance expenses used for instructional purposes 

1 Elmira 80 . 8 

2 Yonkers 79 . 9 

3 Newburgh 78.2 

4 Troy 76.4 

5 Schenectady 75.8 

6 Binghamton 75.7 

7 New Rochelle 75.6 

M 8 Mount Vernon 75.5 

9 Auburn 75 . 

10 Jamestown 74 . 8 

1 1 Niagara Falls 73 . 9 

12 Utica 73.5 

13 Poughkcepsie 12. 2> 

14 Amsterdam 72 . 

15 Watertown 63.4 

Niagara Falls, as may be observed, is l)elow the median in rank in 
percentage of school maintenance expenditures used for instructional 
purposes. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 207 

The total bonded indebtedness of the city on January 1, 1919 was 
$3,561,219. Of this amount the school bonds amounted to $529,919. 
In other words, the school bonds represent only 14.8 per cent of 
the total bonded indebtedness of the city. It may be of interest to 
note that for several years the percentage has been approximately 
the same. The figures for the years 1912 to 1918, except 1916, are 
given in table 65. 



208 



THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



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REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 209 

On the basis of an estimated population of 55,000, the present total 
bonded indebtedness of $3,561,219 is $64.75 per capita, and the out- 
standing school bonds represent an indebtedness of $9.63 per capita, 
llie percentage of total outstanding bonds during the period of years 
from 1912 to 1918, represented by school bonds, has Ijeen quite 
constant, this percentage varying from 12.4 per cent in 1913 to 14.8 
per cent in 1918. 

Summary 

Niagara Falls is a prosperous community. The real wealth per 
capita is far above the average for the cities of its class in New 
York or in other states. Niagara Falls has nearly double the per 
capita wealth of the average of the cities of either comparative group. 

The ability of Niagara Falls to support a progressive school pro- 
gram is clearly established. 

In comparison with cities in its class, in New York and in other 
states, Niagara Falls ranks much higher in the per capita expendi- 
tures for the maintenance of government than for the maintenance of 
schools. In 1919 only three cities of nineteen cities in the north and 
west showed a lower per capita expenditure for school maintenance. 
In 1920 Niagara held approximately a median position among the 
New York cities in the per capita expenditures for schools. 

Niagara Falls occupies relatively a low rank among the cities of 
these groups in the percentage of funds used for school purposes. 
A community that uses only from 29 (1919) to 31 (1920) per cent 
of its general departmental expenditures for school purposes is not 
meeting its full educational responsibility. 

In both groups of cities Niagara F'alls shows the lowest expendi- 
tures for schools on the basis of the real wealth per capita. In 1919 
Niagara Falls used one dollar for school maintenance for every $328 
of real w^ealth. In contrast with this it is noted that Elmira used 
one dollar for school maintenance for every $143 of real wealth. In 
Bay City, Mich., one dollar was used for school purposes for every 
$91 of real w^ealth. In 1920 the maintenance cost per pupil in aver- 
age daily attendance in Niagara Falls was $64.43. This is some- 
what below the average of the fifteen New York cities used in the 
comparative tables. The ability of Niagara Falls to support an 
educational program has greatly increased during the past few years. 
This is not yet reflected in the school costs for the city although a 
most commendable program for developing the school opportunities 
is already under way. 



210 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

On the basis of the instructional cost per pupil in average daily 
attendance, Niagara Falls is also below the average of the fifteen 
cities of New York used in the comparative tables. On the basis 
of instructional cost per pupil, Niagara Falls occupies a somewhat 
lower rank than in 1915-16. 

The percentage of increase in school maintenance costs and in 
instructional costs per pupil in the cities of New York during the 
past four years does not represent a reasonable increment when con- 
sidered in connection with the marked increase in commercial and 
economic costs during this period. 

The percentage distribution of school maintenance funds in 
Niagara Falls does not differ widely from the general policy followed 
in other New York cities. 

What effect the continuing salary increases during the current 
school year, for which statistics are not yet available, would have 
upon the relative standing of Niagara Falls in comparison with the 
other cities can not l)e determined. We are of the opinion, however, 
that the relative rank of Niagara Falls will not be changed in any 
great degree as a result of comparative data that will be available 
later covering the present year because of similar conditions that 
have been effective in the other cities. 

The outstanding feature in Niagara Falls relative to school costs 
at the present time is the unusual and l)road program that is already 
under way for the development of the school plant and the reorgani- 
zation of the higher grades for improving the opportunities that are 
to be offered to the pupils of the early adolescent period. The carry- 
ing forward of this program should put Niagara Falls educationally 
into the very front rank of the cities of her class in this State or in 
other states. 

In general therefore it may be stated that with a tax levy that is 
apparently not excessive, with a large amount of wealth back of each 
dollar used for schools, with a relative rank somewhat below the 
average for school costs whether on the per pupil or the per capita 
basis, with a minimum percentage of general city maintenance funds 
now being used for school purposes it seems reasonable to l:)elieve 
that the people of the community will approve a reasonable increase 
in the educational budget not only for the routine work of the schools 
but also that the broader and more progressive program now under 
way may be fully developed to meet the needs of this rapidly growing 
industrial and commercial center. 




ADVANCED MACHINE SHOP CLASS IN THE VOCATIONAL SCHOOL 




HIGH SCHOOL COOKING CLASS 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 211 

13 

INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION SURVEY^ 

Outside of the building trades and some few lines of manufactur- 
ing, the findings show a number of large establishments turning out 
specialized products produced by highly technical processes which 
utilize some form of electric furnace depending upon large supplies 
of electric current, employ considerable numbers of unskilled or low- 
grade skilled workers, many of whom are foreign born. 

This last and typical group constitutes naturally the main problem 
of this survey and will be dealt with first. 

The Electro-chemical Industries 

Almost all reports state that the knowledge and skill needed for the 
large mass of production workers can be obtained in routine practice 
and even that the preparation for the advanced jobs can be so ob- 
tained. For the bulk of these workers the only educational pro- 
visions discernible are those that will bring opportunities for ele- 
mentary scientific information before the whole group and that place 
opportunities for instruction before the specialh' able and ambitious 
so that the small number that will take advantage of the latter pro- 
visions may fit themselves for upgrading and advancement. 

First of these provisions would seem to be popular evening lec- 
tures on the elementary conceptions of chemistry and electricity with 
special reference to their a])plications in the local industries. Such 
lectures, if presented in the simplest possible way making large use 
of illustrative material, graphic methods and illuminated by practical 
applications, could proba1)]y l)e made sufficiently interesting to 
attract many plant workers in whom they would serve to develop a 
more intelligent attitude toward their work and to enlarge their 
mental horizon. Such a i)roposition may be held to be more of a 
provision for general rather than for industrial education. Perhaps 
it is. Such lectures, however, if made interesting enough to appeal 
to the workers could hardly fail to increase their industrial intelli- 
gence and in many cases to stimulate the interest to further study. 

In considering the second suggestion, it is evident that with organ- 
izations of such character as those represented in the electro-chemical 



1 Prepared by C. R. Richards, Director of Cooper Union, New York City. 



212 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

industries, one of the acute problems is that of training foremen. 
The findings show that the shift foremen often come from the gang. 
Beyond these are the foremen of departments, sometimes coming 
from the laboratories and sometimes from the shift foremen. These 
latter present the need for special technical and scientific training. 
The qualities needed for effective work as foremen are so much a 
matter of personal make-up that the bringing of outside training to 
bear on this problem can hardly he done except through offering 
opportunity for evening courses, which by a process of natural 
selection will be availed of by the more able and ambitious workers. 

The courses of most value in this connection would seem to be 
those in physics, electricity and chemistry noted in a later portion of 
the report. Courses in foremanship. bringing out the duties of fore- 
men, the qualities needed for successful handling of men and prac- 
tical suggestions for dealing with difficult situations, have been de- 
veloped in the last few years, notably at the Submarine Boat Corpo- 
ration at Newark Bay. Some of the results are shortly to be pub- 
lished by the Federal Board for Vocational Education. When such 
instruction is more thoroughly developed and standardized it is possi- 
ble that such a course might be given with advantage at Niagara Falls. 

The practice of all the establishments in the electro-chemical group 
is to employ no men in the production departments younger than 18 
because of the state law prohiljiting the employment of minors in 
dangerous occupations. From the nature of the case these young 
men are not high school material. They have almost inevitably left 
the grammar school at 14 or 15 years of age to go to work. They 
consequently have little general education and must necessarily have 
passed the time before employment in these plants in other jobs not 
generally educative or disciplinary. 

The preemployment training in day schools in chemistry, elec- 
tricity and otlier sul)jects, specified as desirable for these workers 
by some of the superintendents, is because of these conditions, and 
consequently not practicable except in the most elementary form. 
These conditions of employment of young workers in the electro- 
chemical industry represent a typical case of the educational waste 
of the years between 14 and 18 prevalent throughout the country in 
the case of industrial workers. The compulsory continuation school 
law recently enacted by the State of New York aims to ameliorate to 
some extent this wastage and it seems peculiarly unfortunate that 
the conditions in the electro-chemical industries at Niagara Falls 
prevent taking advantage of the provisions of this law. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 213 

Workers in Chemical Laboratories 

The workers in the chemical and alHed laboratories present a 
special element from the educational standpoint. It is stated that a 
number of boys who have had only a grammar school training are 
employed as laboratory assistants or routine analysts. If this prac- 
tice is to be followed, little can be done in supplementary training for 
such workers except through evening or preferably day part-time 
classes. These possibilities will be referred to later on. 

The organic relation, however, that would seem to open up between 
the school system and the chemical laboratories and engineering de- 
partments is through specially adapted high school courses organized 
with a special aim to prepare for this field of work. The practica- 
bility and value of such a provision depends on whether the industries 
are willing to pay the price of high school graduates so trained. If 
they are willing, it is thoroughly feasible to organize courses in the 
high school giving special emphasis to chemistry, electricity, drafting 
and mechanics that would equip graduates for advantageous entrance 
into the laboratories and into the engineering side of the plants as 
well as bringing more young men of good general education into the 
industries. 

If the high school is to be maintained on the four-year basis, such 
courses might well be based upon general work in physics and 
chemistry and drawing in the first two years of the high school and 
then provide opportunities for further study as electives in either of 
these three fields in the last two years. If, however, the high school 
work is to be reorganized on the basis of a three-year junior high 
school and a three-year senior high school, such courses would 
naturally be given in the senior school. This work should be de- 
veloped largely through a series of laboratories and drafting rooms 
equipped for the further study of chemistry, electricity, heat and 
mechanics, and organized on a basis sufficiently intensive to produce 
practical vocational results. Three full hours a day should be de- 
voted to technical instruction whether of laboratory, drawing room 
or classroom. On this basis two-thirds of the salaries of teachers 
engaged in such instruction would be met by payments from the 
State Department of Education and the Federal Board of Education. 
The efficiency of such work would be much increased if summer 
work could be arranged upon a cooperative plan by which part of the 
pupil's time could be spent in the establishments and part in school. 
A feature of such courses should be talks from high-grade men in 
the industries upon special phases of the local industries. 



214 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

For the laboratory workers already in employment, evening or 
part-time day courses might well be provided in. the public schools. 
The survey of the evening school chemistry problem made l)y the 
committee of the chamber of commerce, giving the opinions of em- 
ployers in the form of a questionnaire, contributes very helpful data 
in this direction. For those workers with little or no previous train- 
ing in chemistry, a two-year course with instruction three evenings 
a week, dealing with elementary inorganic chemistry, is recom- 
mended. It might be possible to take up the beginning of qualitative 
analysis in the latter part of the first year. The second year of such 
a course should be devoted to qualitative analysis. An experience 
of 22 years in supervising evening classes in chemistry leads the 
writer to feel that the l)ackground of appreciation and the accuracy 
in manipulation necessary to deal intelligently and profitably with 
the subject of quantitative analysis can not be secured in less than 
two years of preliminary evening work. A third year of advanced 
work might well be devoted to quantitative work. In such a course 
covering the elements of gravimetric and volumetric analysis, the 
principles and some experiments in electro-chemistry might be in- 
cluded. These courses should be administered so as not only to 
allow younger workers to progress steadily throughout the course, 
but so that laboratory workers c[ualified b\' their experience could be 
admitted in the second and third years. 

All these courses might be maintained on the basis of three nights 
a week, although four nights dcNoted to the second and third year 
courses would accomplish more. One evening should be devoted to 
a lecture and recitation and the remaining evenings to laboratory 
work. It is ])articular]\- rcrommended tliat no lecture courses be 
given without an accompanying recitation or quiz, as the assimila- 
tion of material i)resented in lectures can not be assured in the case 
of immature ])upils without such provision. Beginning with the 
second year, instruction in the laboratory should be differentiated 
when practical and desirable to reach the needs of the groups coming 
from dififerent establishments. 

The proposition for a round-table course for experienced men in 
the laboratories is one that conceivably might be of much advantage 
but it is not one that lends itself readily to methods of instruction 
available in a city school .system. The most natural way in which 
such a course could be developed and conducted would seem to be 
through the initiative of the workers and employers themselves. In 
such a case a room for meetings might well be ])rovided l)y the school 
authorities. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 215 

Workers in Skilled Trades 

The maintenance and repair workers in the plants, such as car- 
penters, millwrights, machinists, electricians and draftsmen, repre- 
sent much the same situation as these workers in outside trades and 
will be dealt with in the following portion of the report. 

All the other plants studied culminate in small groups of skilled 
workers in various mechanical trades, usually with relatively large 
numl)ers of semiskilled operators. 1"he building trades represent a 
number of skilled trades. In all, the following trades are repre- 
sented : draftsmen, machinists, carpenters, millwrights, sheet metal 
workers, blacksmiths, i)lumbers, l)ricklayers and masons, structural 
ironworkers, pipe fitters, electricians, pattern makers, painters and 
decorators. 

For educational purposes these workers, whether in the electro- 
chemical plants, manufacturing establishments or the building trades, 
can be dealt with together. 

Vocational Schools 

There are two educational approaches to the problem presented by 
such workers. One is the preemployment courses for boys from 
14 to 16 years of age in special vocational schools which devote a 
large amount of time to mechanical work and to supplementary 
drawing, mathematics and principles of physics. The question of 
the organization of a school of this type in a community of the size 
of Niagara Falls is one not easily answered. Such .schools are un- 
questionably expensive to maintain, although aided materially by 
state and federal agents, and it should l)e understood that they suc- 
ceed in holding but a fraction of the boys who reach the age of 14 
and who will later go into mechanical trades. 

Buffalo, with a population of 500,000, maintains four such schools 
with a registry last year of over 600 pupils with very satisfactory 
results. Elmira. a city of about the same size as Niagara Falls, has 
maintained a school of this type for 6 or 7 years. Last year it had 
liO pupils and some ten instructors and offers courses in machine 
work, electrical work, plumbing and steam fitting, carpentry and 
cal>inetmaking. "Ihe salaries paid last year amounted to $15,900, 
of which $9450 was met by state and federal aid, leaving a net salary 
expense of $6450. 

In Niagara Falls, such a school might be started on a moderate 
basis and allowed to develop as the city increases in population. 
Courses in machine work and in carpentry and millwrighting would 



216 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

seem to be the two courses most needed and most calculated to bring 
results. 

If an adequate machine shop is to be available in the high school 
building, a course in machine work could be organized without large 
outlay for equipment. Cordial support for such courses would seem 
to be assured on the part of employers and officials of organized 
labor, judging from interviews held during the survey. If such a 
school or classes are started the courses should include shop training, 
directly related technical instruction, instruction desirable for citizen- 
ship and the elements of general education. 

It is recommended that the organization of the courses of instruc- 
tion be made on a basis that will require two years for completion. 
The courses for the two years, however, should be organized, just as 
far as possible, as units complete in themselves, so that boys may 
pass out at the end of the first year with a definite gain in vocational 
equipment. The length of the school day in such classes should be 
as near as possible to that of the usual industrial day and it is recom- 
mended that this be made seven hours and that the school training be 
continued for practically the entire calendar year. 

It is recommended that the number of pupils assigned to one in- 
structor of shop work shall not exceed 16. Teachers of shop work 
in these classes should have a background of considerable practical 
experience in the trades to be taught. 

It should be noted that in regard to this type of vocational educa- 
tion that state and federal aid is available for two-thirds the salary of 
teachers giving instruction in industrial and related technical classes. 

Evening Classes 

The main educational provisions for workers in the above groups, 
however, must be found in evening classes and it is to be hoped later 
on, for those below 18 years of age, in part-time classes. Experience 
has indicated that the following courses are serviceable and practicable 
for this purpose : 

Draftsmen. Mechanical drawing covering the making of work- 
ing drawings, projection, intersections and developments, free-hand 
sketching for machine parts, detail and assembly drawings for the 
first two years, and mechanism and simple structural drawing for the 
third year. 

Strength of materials. The plan of instruction should be very 
simple and deal mainly with the stresses and strains produced under 
tension, comi)ression and shearing. Columns and Ijeams must neces- 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 217 

sarily be dealt with from the empirical standpoint without the theo- 
retical mathematical analysis. 

Machinists. Mechanical drawing, much the same as for drafts- 
men, concentrated in the second year upon drawings illustrating 
machine construction. 

Shop mathematics, fractions and decimal parts, metric system cal- 
culations relating to mensuration, pulleys, belting, gearing, screw 
threads and taper turning. 

Machine shop practice. If a school machine shop is available 
with an equipment of typical up-to-date machine tools, a course in 
practical shop work can be given with much profit that will serve to 
broaden the experience of the machine tenders, helpers and hands by 
aflfording practice on the various tools. Such a course can be 
dififerentiated according to the needs of the individuals, some men 
wanting special work on particular tools such as the lathe, planer, 
shaper or milling machine. 

Sheet Metal Workers. Mechanical drawing, same as for drafts- 
men for first year, running into intersections and developments and 
pattern work in the second year. 

Pattern Makers. Mechanical drawing, same as for draftsmen 
first two years ; shop mathematics, same as for machinists. 

Structural Iron Workers. Courses in blue print reading. Course 
in strength of materials might attract a number of these workers. 

Carpenters. Elements of architectural drawing. First year: 
course to include working drawings dealing with full-size and scale 
details of frame, brick and stone work construction; elevations and 
sections of windows, doors etc., from blackboard instruction ; second 
year : mechanics details. Sections and developments as prepared for 
the shop. Details of platform and stairway construction. 

Plan reading and cost estimating. Course to cover the methods of 
estimating of materials with reference to the provisions of the build- 
ing code of the city. 

Milkvrights. Architectural drawing, same as for carpenters. 
Shop mathematics, same as for machinists, with special reference to 
millwright calculations. 

Bricklayers and Masons. Architectural drawing, same as for 
carpenters. 

Plumbers. Free-hand sketching and blue print reading, dealing 
with pipe lines and fixtures, giving figures, dimensions and notes as 
related to installation and calculations needed for material. If 
apprenticeship rules do not allow of the apprentice handling tools, a 
course in practical work will be in demand. Accompanying this 



218 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

course should be instruction in the physical principles underlying the 
use of fixtures, traps and hot water boilers illustrated by the rules of 
the board of health bearing upon the same. 

Pipe Fitters. Free-hand sketching. Blue print reading, same as 
for plumbers. 

Electricians. Course in elementary and applied electricity. The 
practical units of current, voltage and resistance ; Ohm's law ; meas- 
urement of current and voltage by means of ammeter and voltmeter ; 
the measurement of resistance by means of ammeter and voltmeter, 
and by means of Wheatstone's bridge; the equivalent resistance of 
conductors in series and parallel circuits, and how the current and 
voltage divides in such circuits ; the meaning and use of circular mil 
and mil foot. 

Computations of resistance of wires from their dimensions and 
specific resistances ; the practical units of power ; measurements of 
power by means of ammeter and voltmeter and by wattmeter; the 
use of watt-hour meter; the calculation of total power in a circuit, 
the power lost in line, and the relation of power loss to diameter of 
conductor. 

The current carrying capacities of conductors for difi:'erent sizes 
and conditions ; the theory and operation of the three wire system ; 
the operation of switching apparatus, including fuses, circuit break- 
ers, and remote control switching; methods of using wire tables and 
handbooks ; the Electrical Code requirements. 

For All IVorkers. Courses in physics, dealing with mechanics, 
heat and hydraulics. Courses in algebra and geometry are advised 
if sufficient numbers to justify classes can be enrolled. 

No evening courses are recommended for l)lacksmiths or painters 
and decorators, in the first case because of the small number involved 
and the difficulty experienced in securing attendance of men from this 
trade. In the case of painters and decorators the difficulties and 
expense involved in developing practical courses and the small num- 
ber that are attracted to such courses make such classes unsatisfactory 
to maintain. 

The importance of selecting the best possible material for teachers 
in these classes can not be overemphasized. Only men with practical 
experience in the trade or subject taught should be employed. When 
the course involves instruction in science, the teacher should either 
have had practical experience in industry or have made a special 
study of the industries from which pupils are likely to come. 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 219 

It should be noted in this connection that the State will pay two- 
thirds of the salary of the first teacher and one-half of the salary of 
other teachers in approved evening vocational classes. 

It is recommended that these courses be given on three nights a 
week and that as far as practicable the classes be arranged on the 
trade unit basis noted above ; also that the maximum number in 
practical shop classes be placed at 20 and in classes in drawing, shop 
mathematics and science at 24; also, that a nominal deposit be re- 
quired in each course by all pupils registered and that this deposit 
shall be returned to those pupils who complete at least 75 per cent 
of all sessions of the classes of which they are members. 

All evening courses should be thoroughly advertised by posters in 
the plants and in places where they will reach the eyes of the workers 
a considerable time before beginning. The courses in the day high 
school should be presented before the graduating classes of the 
grammar schools of the city and should be set forth by the principal 
of the high school to the pupils. 

Supervision 

Consideration should be given to the fact that vocational classes 
like those recommended can be efficiently maintained only when 
under adequate expert direction. If these classes are to be organized 
in the public schools provision should be made for a supervisor with 
salary sufficient to secure a capable man experienced in such work 
and if possible one who has also had some industrial experience. 
Such a supervisor should have the direction of all industrial work in 
day vocational classes, of the technical work in the high school and 
the evening vocational classes and any part-time classes that may be 
established. 

Finally, it should be emphasized that vocational instruction in the 
public schools can be made successful and maintained at a high 
standard of efficiency only through the earnest and intimate coopera- 
tion of those engaged in practical work in the industries. The 
schoolmen need this cooperation in order that their instruction may 
make a real connection with the vocational needs of the workers and 
keep pace with the changing conditions of industry. 

Advisory Committees 

The most effective method to achieve this result so far developed 
is 'through the appointment by the board of education of advisory 
committees in each trade or vocation represented. In the trades 
where the workers employed are to a large extent organized, such 



220 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK ■ 

committees may well consist of two or three persons selected from 
employers associations, two or three from labor organizations and an 
additional member nominated by this group of four or six. In cases 
where the workers are not organized, a committee selected from 
persons nominated by the employers associations might serve the 
purpose. 

Such committees should have direct relations with the supervisor 
of vocational education, who should be instructed before action is 
taken upon such matters to invite the recommendations of the com- 
mittees as to the establishment of new industrial classes, the selection 
of equipment, the content and length of courses of study, the require- 
ments for graduation and certification, the number of pupils admitted 
to classes. 

When important questions of policy relating to work in industrial 
education are concerned it is highly desirable that the board of educa- 
tion obtain the advice of these committees directly. 

The value of all such courses as above indicated, indeed, of all the 
propositions recommended in this report, come back largely to the 
question of dollars and cents expended in relation to the results ob- 
tained. In a community of the size of Niagara Falls the worth of 
such provisions can be fully determined only after two or three years 
of serious trial. 



INDEX 



Accelerated pupils, percentage of, 87 

Advisory committees, 219 

Age and grade, enrolment by, 85, 86 

Air space, 180 

Arithmetic, 70-76; tests, 137-45 

Ashland Avenue School, 173, 175, 
177, 178, 183; playground space, 
179, 180 

Atten.dance in public schools, ele- 
mentary grades, 83; average daily, 
170 

Biologic science, instruction in, 
10^7 

Board of education, 6; appoint- 
ments, 11; members, 11; term, 
11; functions, 11; school budget, 
11; expenditure of funds under 
control of, 12; full responsibility 
in educational and financial mat- 
ters, 13; membership continuous, 
13; meetings, 13; official proceed- 
ings, 14; progressive attitude, 14; 
official recognition to school ath- 
letic association, 14 ; summary of 
various activities, 15; clerk, 16; 
committees, 17; summary, 25 

Bond issue for school purposes, 8 

Budget, 11 

Building committee of board of edu- 
cation, 19 

Buildings, 6; elementary school, 7, 
172; new, plan for, 8; new, special 
election to consider, 12; recom- 
mendations, 184; summary, 187-88 

Center Avenue School, 173, 175, 
177, 178, 183; playground space, 
179, 180 

Chemical laboratories, workers in, 
213-14 

Clerk of the board, 16 

Cleveland Avenue School, 172, 175, 
177, 178. 179, 183, 184; playground 
space, 179. 180 

Committee assignments, elimina- 
tion, suggested, 24 

Committees of the board, 17-25 



Composition, 134-37 

Costs, comparative school costs, 
190-210; comparison of school 
costs in Niagara Falls with cities 
in New York, 196-207 

Domestic science, supervisor of, 35 
Drawing, elementary, 78-80; high 

school, 108-11 
Drawing, supervisor of, 34 

Educational tests. 116; how they 
differ from the ordinary school 
examination, 116; value of for 
measuring school achievement, 
117; phases of pupil achievement 
measured, 117; administration of, 
118 

Electro-chemical industries, 211-12 

Elementary course of instruction, 6, 
58-82 

Elementary grades, supervision, 28- 
31; enrolment, 30; attendance, 83; 
percentage of pupils in, 83; dis- 
tribution of by buildings, 183. 
Si'c also Buildings 

Elementary teachers, 47-53; sala- 
ries, 49-53 

English, elementary, 63-69; in the 
high school, 94-100 

Evening schools, 112, 216 

Expenditures sec Finances 

Extension work, 40-42. 166 

Ferry Avenue School, 173. 175, 177. 

178. 183; playground space, 179. 

180 
Fifth Street School. 172. 175, 177, 

178, 179. 183, 184; playground 

space, 179, 180 
Finance committee of I)oard of edu- 
cation, 17 
Finances, raising and distributing 

funds, 12; comparative school 

costs, 190-210 
Floor area, 180 
Foreign languages, relative status 

of, 101 



222 



THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



Grades see Elementary grades 
Grounds and janitors, special com- 
mittee of board of education, 19 
Group intelligence and standardized 
educational tests, correspondence 
between, 153-56 

Handwriting, 145-46 

Health education, 157-69 

High school, 42-43, 89-115, 175, 
177; -courses of instruction, 7; 
average daily attendance, 83; 
courses, 93; registration by 
courses, 94; summary, 113-15; 
playground space, 179 

High school teachers, 54-56; pro- 
fessional training, 52; salaries, 
54-56 

History, 76-78; in the high school, 
103 

Industrial arts, work in, 38-40; ele- 
mentary, 78-80; high school, 108- 
11 

Industrial education survey, 211-20 

Language, Trabue completion test, 

130-34 
Latin, instruction in, 100-3 

Maple Avenue School, 173, 175, 177, 
178, 183; playground space, 179, 
180; no hot water, 181 

Mathematics, in the high school, 
104-6 

Measurement of pupil achievement, 
116-56 

Medical inspection, 157-59 

Meetings and conferences of teach- 
ers, 32 

Music, supervisor of, 36 

Niagara Falls, the community, 9-10; 

cosmopolitan population, 6, 9 
National intelligence tests, 146-53 
Normal pupils, percentage of, 87 

Nurses, 158 

Open-air room, 159 

Penmanship, supervisor of, 36 
Physical and earth science in the 
high school, 107-8 



Physical education, 161-68 
Physical training, supervisor of, 37 
Playground area of elementary 

schools, 14, 179 
Primary grades, supervisor of, 33 
Principals, elementary school, 28; 
teaching experience, 29; super- 
visory work, 30; responsible for 
supervision of school units, 30; 
clerical work, 31; meetings, 32; 
professional spirit, 32; spend too 
much time in routine clerical 
work, 44 

Reading, 58-63; no test in oral read- 
ing, 125; Monroe standardized 
silent reading test, 125; grade 
scores, Monroe silent reading 
test, 127; summary of results of 
silent reading test, 129; recom- 
mendations, 129 

Registration, 83; annual, 170; an- 
nual increase in, 171; estimated, 
based on a 5 per cent annual in- 
crement, 172 

Registration card, 90 

Report card, 92 

Report of pupils' progress, 91 

Retarded pupils, percentage of, 7, 87 

Richards, C. R., Industrial educa- 
tion survey, 211-20 

Salaries, of elementary teachers, 49- 
53; high school teachers, 54-56 

Sanitary and hygienic conditions of 
buildings, 180 

School group, 83-88 

School paper, 97 

School plant, 170-89 

School population has outgrown 
the present school facilities, 7 

Spelling, choice of words for the 
test, 119; list of words, 121; scor- 
ing and checking of, 122; grade 
standards, 122; report, 123; scores, 
124; summary, 124 

Strayer " Score card for city school 
buildings," 176 

Sugar Street School, 173, 175, 177, 

178, 183; no playground space, 

179, 180 



REPORT OF THE NIAGARA FALLS SCHOOL SYSTEM 



223 



Superintendent of schools, 16 

Supervision, 27-46 

Supervisory staff, organization, 28; 
summary, 44-46 

Supply committee of board of edu- 
cation, 20 

Swimming pools, 181 

Teachers, 6; meetings, 2)2; elemen- 
tary, 47-53; high school, 54-56; 
tenure of service, 56 

Teachers committee of board of 
education, 18 

Teaching staff, 47-57; summary, 57 

Tenth Street School, 174, 175, 177, 
178, 183; playground space, 179 

Third Street School, 173, 175, 177, 

178, 183; playground space, 179, 
180 

Thirteenth Street School, 173, 175, 
177, 178, 183; playground space, 

179, 180 



Toilet facilities, 182 
Trade school courses, HI 
Trades, workers in, 215 
Twenty-fourth Street School, 174, 

175, 177, 178, 183; playground 

space, 179, 180 
Twenty-second Street School, 173, 

175, 177, 178, 183; playground 

space, 179, 180 

Undernourished children, 159 

Vocational schools, 215 

Water supph-, 181 

Whitney Avenue School, 173, 175, 

177, 178, 183; playground space, 

179, 180 
Window area, 181 
Writing, 145-46 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



